The Light of Darkness
by Starlightmonkey
Summary: An ancient legend, buried in the depths of history, returns to the forefront of human memory and throws the Bladebreakers lives into turmoil. That, and the arrival of Tyson's cousin, plunges the teens into a new adventure and leaves Kai utterly perplexed.
1. Prologue

Hi to all of you actually reading this story! I would just like to start off by saying that this is my very first fanfic so I would greatly appreciate reviews and all that stuff. So if there's anything you want to comment on just review me (please I really wanna know how I'm doing!!!) or email me. Well, I guess that's it for the moment so please read and hopefully enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** I can say with all honesty and sadness that I don't own Beyblade because if I did then the show would have continued on for much, much, much longer!

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**Prologue**

Darkness lay thick upon the Kingdom, suffocating the once great world of all light and life. It was a place void of all existence, a world doomed to bear the scars of a war long forgotten, a dead world. The place was in ruins and had been for eons, longer than time itself.

The city had once been the jewel of the universe. To look upon it was to see both beauty and power. It had reigned supreme over the other realms and empires and had been their controlling hand. But now it was nothing more than a world forgotten and shadowed by the past. It did not sparkle in radiance and enchantment, nor did it dance in a plethora of colours. It was also impossible to feel the power that had once emanated from its heart. The Kingdom was now in disarray. It was empty and silent, and worst of all, dead. The once elegant metropolis had been reduced to a crumbling civilization.

Silence hung in the air of the shattered empire and was particularly unbearable around the now fractured palace. The palace had been the stronghold of supremacy and radiance during the golden age of peace and had been the last to fall when the shadows had come to seek destruction and dominance. Even now when its authority was riven it still remained to be a place of unequaled exquisiteness and splendor. However in its remains it was possible to trace the sadness and devastation that had befallen it, the Kingdom, and the people that had once lived tranquilly in its constraints.

For the evil had come and lead the prior utopia into a state of perpetual dystopia, one that it could never escape from. The empire was destined to remain trapped in its solitude and obscurity for all eternity, remaining if at all a distant legend in history and the minds of the world it was once part of-the Earth. It had been fated to fade from the memories of humans and those who were sent from the realm to the green and blue planet forever, to try and prevent the atrocity from ever happening again.

That is, unless _she_ returned to free what was lost to the chaos of the dark and to save a new world from death. To return the power of light to its rightful place and to conquer the shadows of the corrupt.

For a time was arising when some would have to remember in order to stop the darkness once again.

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Please R&R and tell me if you liked it or not 


	2. Chapter 1

Okay so just a few little things before the story starts. This is set a few months after Grevolution takes place and Kai still has Dranzer (I kinda can't remember if he gets her back or not as it's been a while since I've watched the show so for this fics sake he still has her). Daichi and Hilary aren't going to be featured prominently in the story though they may make appearances occasionally, and if you're wondering where they went let's just say that Daichi went back to his village to train and Hilary went on exchange to France.

Um…what else? Oh yeah! Max's dad has moved to the US to be with Judy which is why Max lives with Tyson and not his father. Lastly, Kai is the only one who has turned 16, with Ray, Max, Tyson and Kenny still being 15, although they are all in the same year at school.

" "- speech

' '- thought

_italics_- generally used to indicate emphasis or a bit-beast speaking

I also apologise if any of the characters are OOC (just let me know and I'll try to fix it!) and for Gramps speech becasue it's really hard to write the old man's way of speaking!

Well, I think that's it for the moment so on with the disclaimer, enjoy the story and remember to review!!!

**Disclaimer:** If only I had created the world then I could legitimately claim that I was the mastermind behind Beyblade. But alas, I didn't so therefore the privilege of owning Beyblade belongs to Takao Aoki and sadly not me! Sigh…

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**Chapter 1**

The shrill ringing of the telephone broke through the kitchen as the inhabitants of the Granger dojo sat down for dinner. The noise became even more amplified as silence descended upon the four teens situated around the rectangular table while they looked at one another to see who would answer the call.

"I'll get it!" the bluenette with the backwards baseball cap called as he jumped up from his position at the table and ungracefully ran into the hallway, slipping on the polished floors, to get the phone.

Faintly the other three heard the boy answer "Hello?" before their attention was drawn to the doorway where an older man had just appeared.

"Sup little dudes? How'd the training go?" the man asked as he entered the room and sat down at the head of the table.

"Kai trained us so hard that I can barley feel my arms Gramps," the blond haired, blue eyed teen said with a dramatic sigh for emphasis.

Grandpa Granger chuckled while the black haired nekojin sitting across from the blond boy said "Yeah, it was pretty challenging but it wasn't the training that was hard, it was listening to Tyson's whining that proved the issue, right Kai?"

"Hn." Was the only reply from the two toned blue haired teen to the right of the nekojin, Ray.

At this comment Grandpa chuckled louder and the blond teen, Max, laughed too. Just as Max opened his mouth to add something else, a deafening "ARE YOU SERIOUS?" could be heard from Tyson who was still on the phone in the hallway. Ray and Max exchanged curious glances across the table and then turned to look at Grandpa Granger, who had a knowing expression on his face. Kai remained with his eyes closed, arms folded across his chest, and a blank look upon his face, not bothering to acknowledge the outburst from the other room.

After a few moments, those in the kitchen heard Tyson slam the phone back down into the receiver and his thunderous footfalls as he proceeded to run back to them. He slid into the room with barley contained excitement and exclaimed "Oh my God Gramps, is it really true?"

The old man smiled widely and looked upon his grandson with happiness, "Yeah little dude. Your Aunt Akiko rang me last week to ask me if I was down with it."

"Last week! You've known since last week and you didn't tell me!" Tyson huffed indignantly.

"Hey chill dog. I was sworn to secrecy 'cos Kurumi wanted to tell you."

"Um…sorry to interrupt but what's going on?" Max asked looking from Gramps to Tyson with a confused appearance. Ray also wore a similar look, while Kai hadn't moved a muscle.

"Well my hommies, you're getting a new housemate." Gramps supplied as Tyson was too busy jumping up and down with joy and anticipation.

At this remark Kai cracked one eye open to stare down the table to the elder Granger waiting for further explanation and clarification on the matter.

"Who?" Ray asked with interest.

"Kurumi!" Tyson yelled gleefully and looked expectantly at his teammates and friends, as if he anticipated them to know who he was talking about and for them to jump up and join in with his celebrating. However, when none of them responded except to give him an even more puzzled expression, Tyson extended his elucidation slightly. "My cousin!"

"Cool!" Max said as he leapt up to participate in a happy dance with Tyson, even though he didn't have the faintest clue as to who Kurumi was. He just joined in because Tyson's happiness was so damn infectious. However, this juvenile display was put to a stop with a single glare from Kai, which sobered the two hyperactive teens up and they resumed their seats at the kitchen table.

"So when is Kurumi arriving?" Ray questioned, directing it at Tyson.

"Um. . .well. . . I kinda forgot to ask." Tyson admitted sheepishly looking down at the table top.

"Tyson!!!" Max and Ray cried out in unison. Kai just rolled his eyes at the imbecilic nature of his younger 'friend' and refrained from comment. Gramps on the other hand couldn't suppress the smile that crept onto his face as he looked down at his grandson with amusement.

"It's alright dudes 'cos the big dog knows."Grandpa Granger informed the four teens in front of him. "Kuru's plane gets in at 7 tomorrow mornin so y'all betta be up at 5 if y'all wanna come to the airport with me."

"I'm definitely coming!" The bluenette said, stating the rather obvious fact to the group.

"Me too." Max added followed by a "Yeah, I'll come too" by Ray. All eyes then turned to stare at Kai waiting for his answer. As the silence drew on and the sounds of crickets chirping began to occupy the empty air, Tyson scowled at his captain and demanded of him in an impatient tone, "Well, are you coming or not Kai?"

The stoic teen did not respond immediately to the question, instead remaining in his original posture of eyes closed and arms folded across his chest. Although he appeared to not have even heard Tyson, he was actually contemplating whether or not to go. Even though he would never admit it to the others, or himself for that matter, he was quite curious to meet this cousin, as Tyson seemed beyond ecstatic for him to be coming to live at the dojo.

Finally, Kai let a "Hn" escape his lips as he made the decision to accompany the others to the airport. However, this he told himself was only to ensure that the others didn't get into any trouble, which was entirely possible if he wasn't present, and not because he had any interest whatsoever in the person that was to be living with them from now on.

_"Liar" a feminine voice spoke to Kai in his mind._

'Whatever Dranzer. Like I care.' He replied coolly to his phoenix bit-beast telepathically.

_"Just face it, you're intrigued by who could get Tyson this animated," the phoenix countered her master._

'No I'm not. I really couldn't care less, he just better not get in my way.' Kai waited for a reply from Dranzer but was met with nothing. Inwardly smirking he turned his attention back towards the external world.

The others were chatting among themselves and starting to eat dinner. All except Tyson, who was on his third helping already and just about ready to get his fourth.

"So Tyson, what's your cousin like?" the blond inquired to the boy beside him.

After choking on the mouthful of noodles and receiving a slap on the back from Max, Tyson replied with enthusiasm "Kumi's absolutely awesome. Apart from you guys, Kuru's my best friend and has been since we were born, but it's been 5 years since we last saw each other. Although we talk on the phone, msn and email each other all the time."

"Yeah, you two cost me a fortune," grumbled Gramps mockingly. "Anyway, y'all betta get some shut eye soon if ya wanna be up on time tomorrow."

"Kay Gramps! Goodnight." Tyson said before getting up from the wooden table with his teammates.

"Goodnight Gramps!" Ray and Max chorused as they followed Tyson, while Kai merely inclined his head in the old man's direction.

"Goodnight little dudes."

The four teens entered the hallway and then started to climb up the stairs which lead to the second level of the traditional Japanese styled house, and subsequently their bedrooms, with Tyson talking non-stop the entire way. This incessant conversation was beginning to get on Kai's nerves so he said "You know Tyson," the other three stopped to look at their leader, "if your cousin is anything like you, kill me now."

At this Max laughed while Ray snorted as they shifted their focus to the blue haired teen.

"Oh don't worry sh-" Tyson began before Kai's words sank in. "Hey!"

Kai smirked faintly before ordering "If you don't want me to wake you up in the morning, get to bed now!"

Tyson was about to retort heatedly until he thought about Kai's words, remembering all of the previous times the two toned bluenette had woke him up. Waking up to Kai was never a pleasant experience as it usually involved water, lack of air, pain, or a combination of all three. He therefore changed his mind, bid a hasty "Goodnight" and walked into his room, shutting the door behind him. He left the blond and nekojin laughing at his expense as they knew exactly what Tyson was thinking from the emotions that crossed his face. They continued to gain amusement from his predicament until they noticed the glare that they were receiving from Kai. They then quickly turned with a rapid "goodnight" into their respective bedrooms. This left Kai to stroll into his room, a smirk gracing his features before closing the door to his own private sanctuary.

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Darkness remained like a thick blanket upon the room when Kai awoke some hours later. He turned his head to the right to see what time it was but all he could make out was a red iridescent blur where his clock was. Rubbing the lingering remnants of sleep from his crimson eyes, he saw that it was 4:30am and groaned at the fact that he would have to get up soon. He decided it would be useless to fall back into the unconscious state he had only just arisen from, as he would only benefit from a few extra minutes of sleep anyway. 

Laying in his extremely comfortable bed for a few more minutes, he eventually pulled himself up and switched on the lamp which resided on his bedside table. Immediately a soft yellow glow bathed the room and chased away the shadows of night. However it didn't go far as the walls were painted an impenetrable shade of black.

Kai swept his eyes over his bedroom, taking in the familiar surroundings, and sighed appreciatively. He liked his room as it reflected who he was. The walls were an onyx colour with a white border around the skirting boards, door frame and window frame. They were unadorned and there was a double bed in the left corner of the room with a black doona and pillow cases. A bedside table sat to the right which housed a lamp, alarm clock, and a thick book, nothing else. There was a desk with a computer on it in the adjacent corner to the bed and a bookcase positioned next to it. Another door lead to a walk-in-wardrobe while in the remaining corner of the room a bench was stationed which accommodated a tool box and spare beyblade parts. A large window with a window seat was situated in the middle of the wall that the head of the bed rested against and looked down upon the back garden of the dojo.

Everything was exceptionally neat and tidy and the bedroom could have been mistaken for an adults and not a 16-year-old boys. Despite this, Kai felt at home here, more so than when he had lived at the Abbey or his grandfather's cold mansion. In fact, he felt that about the dojo in general and couldn't really imagine living anywhere else. Though, of course, he would never admit that to anyone.

It had been a year since Max, Ray and he, Kai, had moved in with Gramps and Tyson, and even though it was only supposed to be a temporary living arrangement, they had somehow never got around to finding other accommodation. Actually, that wasn't entirely true.

About a month after the three teens had arrived at the Granger residence, Ray had brought up the housing dilemma at dinner one Friday night, suggesting that they look at places the next day.

At this commentary Gramps had promptly informed them that that wouldn't be necessary as they were welcome to stay as long as they wanted. In truth, he kind of demanded it. He argued that the dojo was too big for just Tyson and him and that it made the most sense for them to live there as it would enable them to train as a team whenever they wished.

Tyson had eagerly agreed to all of this and begged them to stay because he quote "liked living with his friends, well maybe not Kai. Nah, just kidding. . .kind of." After this 'heartfelt' input from Tyson, Gramps had subtly included the fact that he had already discussed the situation with Mr. Dickenson who had agreed and handed over guardianship of Kai, Ray and Max to the rather eccentric old man, which meant that they couldn't leave the Grangers anyway until they finished high school or their other parents/guardians came back. So therefore, Gramps explained, they _had _to stay.

The conniving old geezer.

The next day Tyson had dragged them all to the paint and furniture stores to get supplies so that the three boys could decorate their rooms to suit themselves. Kai had been reluctant to participate as he felt awkward about officially living with Tyson and Gramps and thought that making the bedroom he was currently residing in 'his' was somehow weird. He believed that Gramps would eventually come to his right mind and ask them to leave when he couldn't handle looking after four teenagers anymore. Hence, creating his own space would be useless as he would not be in it much longer.

But after the constant nagging of his teammates, he had finally succumb to the pressure and given in, joining in with the personalization of his bedroom, albeit aversely. In reality, Kai had at last gone along with it in order to stem the flow of persuasion (in Kai's words annoying noise) directed his way from Tyson, and to avoid certain jail time after he committed homicide by strangling the offending, blabbering bluenette with his bare hands for getting on his last nerve.

Kai extracted himself from his memories and returned to the present time. He got up from his sitting position on the bed and walked over to his closet to get some clothes. He then proceeded to exit his room and enter the bathroom across the hall that he shared with Ray to take a quick shower.

After enjoying a nice warm shower Kai decided to venture downstairs to grab a cup of coffee and some breakfast before going to wake the others.

By others he meant Tyson.

He knew that Ray and Max would be up soon but Tyson was a whole other story. Tyson could sleep through practically anything and he was particularly stubborn when it came to waking up before he was ready to arise. Thus why Kai was usually left to wake the bluenette from his slumber. He wasn't bound by a guilty conscience because of the 'questionable' methods needed to be employed in order to get Tyson up, unlike his teammates. In fact, if truth be told, he enjoyed waking the bluenette up.

Why?

Because it gave him another excuse to torture the younger boy, which he always derived pleasure from and any activity that allowed aggravating Tyson and amusement for Kai was good. Well, in Kai's book at least.

As Kai descended the stairs and came to the doorway of the kitchen, he thought about what means he was going to use today to wake the sleeping dragon, and then he looked up. He stopped dead. His eyes widened and a shocked expression could be discerned upon his face. There, sitting at the table eating (more like devouring) a bowl of cereal was… _Tyson_?

'What the hell is he doing up?' Kai thought to himself bewildered. After all, it wasn't very often that Tyson was up before Kai. Correction, Tyson was NEVER up before ANYONE. He had to be hallucinating. That was the only explanation. 'Max must've spiked my mouthwash' Kai told himself while mentally cursing the innocent blond. Anyway, the image in front of him couldn't be real…

"Morning Kai," Tyson stated cheerfully while munching on a huge mouthful of coco pops. Nope it was real.

"Hn." Kai replied replacing the stunned expression on his face with his customary emotionless look. He poured himself a cup of coffee, grabbed a piece of toast and sat down at the table.

A few minutes later Ray entered the kitchen and had to do a double take to make sure that he wasn't still dreaming. Tyson…up before he had to be?

"Huh?" Ray gave a rather disconcerted glance towards Kai who just shrugged his shoulders in answer.

"Whoa, Tyson what are you doing up?" the nekojin asked the boy in question.

"What?" Tyson responded confused.

"You're up before you have to be," Ray voiced his earlier thought.

"Yeah, so?"

"I just didn't know it was possible," Ray stated in wonder.

"Gee, thanks for the confidence Ray," Tyson replied dryly, "For your information I woke up at 3:30 this morning and couldn't get back to sleep so I just got up."

Tyson, unable to go to sleep? 'That's a first. Wow, he must be excited for his cousin to be coming,' Ray mused, 'That or he's been abducted by aliens and replaced by an imposter who clearly doesn't know his sleeping habits.' Ray was going with the former option.

Several minutes later Max stumbled sleepily into the kitchen and the whole "Oh my God! Tyson you're up?!" scene was once again repeated. At around 5:30am Gramps came in and they all left the house and got into the car to go to the airport to meet the mysterious Kurumi.

* * *

They arrived at the airport 15 minutes before Kurumi's plane was due to arrive and Gramps dropped the four boys off at the entrance. He decided that he would stay in the car and attempt the futile task of finding a car park in the already packed airport. 

Once the teens entered the bustling building, Tyson went in search of an information desk to find out what terminal his cousin would be arriving at.

"So, I wonder what he's like." Max contemplated out loud, alluding to Kurumi. "I hope he likes me."

"I'm sure he will Max," Ray reassured his friend, "And Tyson said he was cool so I'm sure we'll all get on really well."

Max began to speak when he was cut off by Tyson bellowing "Hey guys, this way" from the information desk. This earned the group several disapproving looks and mutterings about "teenagers" from the surrounding patrons. Max and Ray looked slightly embarrassed as they followed their baseball capped friend at a brisk pace while Kai just glared and strode behind the group.

They finally reached their destination, terminal 9, and found that the flight hadn't come in yet. The Bladebreakers sat down to wait, all except Kai who took his traditional stance of leaning against a wall with arms folded and eyes closed.

A quarter of an hour later the intercom announced that the flight from Canada, Kurumi's flight, had just arrived. Tyson immediately jumped up from his seat and waited impatiently for the passengers to disembark from the aircraft. A few minutes passed then the gates opened and people started swarming out. Tyson scanned the crowd for his cousin but there were people everywhere so it was an extremely difficult task. Ray and Max had joined the search too, even though they had absolutely no notion as to what Kurumi looked like.

A few moments passed and then they heard a rather high pitched voice loudly exclaim "Tyson!". Tyson whirled around and only just managed to catch the person that had lunged at him in his arms.

"Kurumi!" Tyson proclaimed excitedly.

He then proceeded to spin in circles, swinging the slightly shorter person around, before slowing to a stop and placing the boy down with his back to Max, Ray and Kai. All they could see of him, well Max and Ray that is as Kai still had his eyes shut, was that he was smaller than Tyson and had very long blond hair tied up into a high ponytail.

"Ooohhh! It's so good to see you again!" Kurumi squealed throwing his arms around Tyson's neck again. Tyson hugged him back tightly, lifting him off the ground.

Ray thought that it was kind of odd for a boy of Kurumi's age to have such a high pitched voice, but said nothing of his concerns out loud.

Just then Tyson said happily "Guys, I want you to meet Kurumi." He spun the boy around to face his friends.

Max and Ray's eyes widened to the size of plates and their mouths dropped open wide in a comical manner. Kai remained indifferent as he had yet to open one of his crimson orbs.

Kurumi was definitely NOT what they were expecting.

For starters _he_ was a _she_!

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Please remember to R&R! 


	3. Chapter 2

Hey! Here's chapter 2 for you all, sorry if it took a while. Anyway, thank you very much to Moonlight Angelsinger for reviewing it was much appreciated. I hope to get a few more this chapter (hint, hint) as I really would like to know if you like this fic or if there's anything I can do to improve it.

Just a couple of notes, changes in POV will be stated so if it doesn't say what POV it is, you can assume that it's Normal POV.

_Hime_ means princess in Japanese.

I also want to apologize for the rather slow pace of the story so far, it will get faster after the first few chapters I promise so please bear with me.

" "- speech

' '- thought

_italics_- generally used to indicate emphasis or a bit-beast speaking

Well, I think that's it for the time being so remember to read and review people!

**Disclaimer:** With all certainty I can assure you all that I do not own Beyblade, only my OC and the plot, unless I accidentally took those from somewhere else which, for me, is entirely possible…

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**Chapter 2**

Max and Ray just stared at the girl before them. They had never seen anyone so beautiful before. In fact, it was arguable as to whether there had ever been, or would ever be, any person whose beauty could be matched or compared to Kurumi's. She was stunning; a rarity in the uttermost sense of the word, and even then, to say that she was stunning was a severe injustice and felt cruelly insufficient as a description of the girl.

She was like a princess, an angel, and a goddess; an enchanting phantasm ripped from the pages of imagination. She belonged to the dream world, but had somehow managed to cross over and transcend into the real world.

The mesmerizing girl before them had long blond hair, tied into a messy ponytail upon her head. It shone with the radiance of sunlight and could easily be mistaken for being woven out of the uncatchable golden rays.

She had soft, creamy skin that was untainted with blemishes or imperfections and delicate facial features. Her lips were the most perfect shade of pink and looked like they would be most comfortable in a smile. She wore a simple white capped sleeve t-shirt, black wool pants, and cute black with white polka dot flats. She also had a black trench coat slung gracefully over one arm.

Her t-shirt ended just before her hips, allowing the bottom of her toned, flat stomach to be exposed, and it was obvious to everyone that she had curves in _all_ the right places. Kurumi was thin with a to-die-for figure, without looking emaciated or skeletal.

However, although all of these features made the girl gorgeous, it was her eyes which were truly captivating. They were big and bright and the most enthralling mix of blue, green and purple. They were beguiling and were extremely honest. Her eyes sparkled with the intensity of the stars and were like doorways to her soul, clearly exhibiting what she was feeling. It was exceptionally easy to get lost and ensnarled within their depths and to never get out again. They pulled you in and if she desired, refused to let you out once more.

Kurumi looked at the three boys before her, two of which were still gaping at her, and the third continued to ignore and not acknowledge her obvious presence.

Kurumi's POV

'Wow, I can't believe I'm actually here and I get to finally meet Tyson's friends whom he talks about all the time!'

I surveyed the boys in front of me with enthusiasm and easily identified each of them from the copious pictures I had seen of the World Champion Beyblade team, the Bladebreakers.

'Ray's the Chinese, black haired nekojin, Max the blond American, and Kai's the two-toned blue haired Russian.' I recited to myself, eager to be acquainted with them after hearing so much about them from Tyson.

As I glanced at each of the boys once again I noticed that Max and Ray were staring at me with expressions that I couldn't readily decipher and Kai had his eyes shut and didn't seem to know that I was there.

'Um…okay, do I have something on my face?...Maybe they think I look weird, which I know I do because everyone always gives me those funny looks. Oh, now I'm starting to get self-conscious!'

As I began to get increasingly nervous and aware of myself, a sudden horrible thought struck me.

'Oh no! What if they hate me! What if they didn't want me to come! I mean I didn't even ask them whether it was alright if I came to live with them. No wonder they don't like me, I'm so selfish! I didn't even consider their feelings or opinions. What should I do? I've never been hated before…'

End Kurumi's POV

As Kurumi had an internal panic attack and debate over what she should do to rectify her own asinine assumptions, she came to the conclusion that she would do all in her power to change the views of the boys and become their friends.

Tyson, who was watching his cousin's reaction closely, had to bite his lip to stop from laughing as he saw her inner turmoil and misguided interpretation of Ray and Max's shock as something more malicious in nature, perfectly mirrored in her unique orbs. He also observed her seemingly come to a decision and the determination that had replaced the fear in her eyes.

"Hi! It's fantastic to meet you all. I'm Kurumi Granger." Kurumi said cheerfully with a large smile that only acted to accentuate her beauty. As an afterthought she added, "And I'm really sorry for coming without asking, please don't hate me!" while bowing deeply.

The sound of Kurumi's voice was enough to retrieve Ray from his stupor, and he drank in the sweet sound issuing from the girl before him. Her voice was heavenly, like charming bells and was as pure and soft as moonlight. It was intoxicating.

Ray caught himself before he fell back into his state of astoundment and instead replied to the blond girl.

"HI, it's great to meet you too Kurumi. I'm Ray, and just a question, why are you apologizing? We don't hate you."

"Really?"

"Yeah, of course. What gave you that idea?" Ray asked in a mystified tone.

"Well, it's just that you guys were staring at me strangely and I thought that you were angry at me because you didn't want me to come and live with you," Kurumi confessed in a small and embarrassed voice.

"No way!" Ray said, chuckling at the awkward and very wrong belief of the pretty girl before him.

"We definitely don't hate you! See, I'll even prove it to you." Max chimed in, having snapped out of his astonished trance the moment he heard Ray's voice. He threw his arms wide and enveloped the smaller girl in a giant bear hug, which she quickly reciprocated.

When they broke apart, both were laughing and had huge grins on their faces.

"I'm Max by the way," Max told Kurumi through his laughter.

"Hey, where's my hug?" Ray asked, interrupting the introductions in a mock hurt tone, pouting for extra emphasis.

Kurumi, still jubilant, ran to Ray and tossed her arms around the nekojin, giving him a big hug.

After extracting herself from Ray's grip, Kurumi turned to the boys and queried again, "So why were you regarding me with funny looks before?"

"Um, we were kinda surprised is all," Max told the teen before him.

"Yeah, you weren't exactly what we were expecting," Ray expanded.

Kurumi tilted her head to the side with a genuinely puzzled expression upon her face, and stated, "I don't understand."

"We thought you were a guy," Max supplied.

Kurumi furrowed her brow in a completely adorable way and turned towards Tyson, asking quizzically, "You told them I was a guy?"

"Hey don't blame me, I never said anything. It's not my fault if they assumed wrongly," Tyson sniggered.

She turned back to Ray and Max with an incredibly serious countenance and said gravely, "Well, I'm very sorry to disappoint you."

"What…don't be silly!"

"Yeah, what are you talking about?"

Max and Ray stuttered out, fumbling out their words in their haste to reassure their new housemate, and friend, that they most definitely were _not_ dissatisfied. In their alacrity, the two teens hadn't caught the mischievous glint in Kurumi's magnificent eyes, and the conspiratorial glance she shared with Tyson, until the two couldn't contain their laughter anymore.

After a few moments, the amusement subsided and Tyson said to his cousin," I guess we should get your luggage 'cos Gramps is waiting in the car."

"Hold on a minute, I still have to meet someone." Kurumi told the others.

"Who?" Tyson asked stupidly.

Kurumi inclined her delicate head to the teen leaning against the wall with his arms folded across his chest and eyes closed.

"Oh, you mean Mr. Sourpuss? Trust me Kuru, you don't _really_ need to meet him." Tyson informed his cousin in a voice loud enough for Kai to hear.

Kai, who for all intensive purposes gave off the illusion that he wasn't listening to anything around him, but was in reality paying avid attention, scowled inwardly at Tyson's comment.

'Idiot' he thought to himself. He had heard all that had transpired in the few minutes that had passed since Kurumi's arrival and had promptly decided that he wasn't about to waste time on a girl who illustrated that idiocy must be genetic in the Granger family. Being a girl, he figured that she must be naturally weak, and from the words that he had witnessed her speak, he also presumed that she severely lacked in the intelligence department too.

Therefore, when he heard the soft sound of approaching footsteps, he kept his eyes firmly shut. He didn't even react when Kurumi said to him brightly, "Hi I'm Kurumi, you must be Kai Hiwatari."

In fact, he paid her no attention at all, assuming that she was nothing more than another dumb bimbo, until Tyson practically yelled at him "Kai!"

At this, he grudgingly opened his eyes a fraction and could see black and white polka-dot flats standing directly in front of him.

Kurumi, who was beginning to sweat drop anime style, recalled a conversation that she had had with Tyson once when he told her that Kai wasn't particularly friendly and rather anti-social. Deciding that she needed to lighten the suddenly tense atmosphere and hoping that it would be viewed as an act of friendship, Kurumi swung her arms around Kai's larger frame and embraced the bluenette in a warm hug.

At the unexpected contact, Kai's eyes speedily snapped open and he looked down to be met with the top of a head full of blond hair. His mind went blank and he couldn't move, he just stood there stunned.

Max, Tyson and Ray, who were watching the display couldn't help but wear bemused expressions, slightly fearing for Kurumi's life as they could sense the danger of the situation, because _nobody_ had _ever_ done that to Kai before. They vaguely thought that she was lucky that Kai was too shocked to do anything about the hug, because if he was aware of what was happening then she would be signing her own death wish.

Kurumi slowly drew away from Kai, smiling up at him and saying, "Hi Kai! I'm so glad to finally meet you!" in a happy voice.

Kai continued to stare at the younger girl while his eyes had widened a fraction more at the sight smiling up at him. She was nothing like he had been anticipating.

_'Wow, she's incredible,' Dranzer said to Kai astonished, 'I didn't even know it was possible to look like that.'_

'Uh-huh,' Kai replied in a dazed voice. As soon as he thought it he returned back to himself, 'Wait…What? You've got to be kidding me right? She's just another moronic girl who isn't even remotely attractive and who obviously doesn't comprehend the concept of personal space. I already _hate_ her.'

_'Kai you can't be serious. If you really believed that then why __is__ your heart beating faster and your blood feels like its warmer and has an electrical current running through it?' Dranzer questioned him mysteriously, something he did __not__ like._

'Like hell it is!' Kai replied vehemently, 'A girl could never do that to me, especially one so imbecilic and ugly…okay I'll admit that she is king of pretty but that doesn't mean _anything_,' he added defiantly.

_'Sure, sure Kai, whatever you say, but please enlighten me as to why you still feel all tingly where she hugged you?'_

'Dranzer?' Kai asked in a voice of forced calm.

_'Yes?'_

'Get lost!' he spat heatedly.

Kai felt Dranzer leave his mind but not before she quipped a _'Knew __you couldn't__'_ and laughed at her Master.

The phoenix blader was now sufficiently angry and the other three boys could sense this newfound fury in their captain's demeanor. In response, Max grabbed Kurumi by the hand, leading her to where they could collect her luggage, and effectively providing an escape for the girl to avoid the evident wrath of Kai. However, he had a difficult time smothering the laugh that wanted to break free as he pulled Kurumi along. Ray also tried hard to suppress his amusement at the predicament of his older teammate and hurriedly followed after Max.

Tyson on the other hand let his enjoyment at the situation show visibly on his face as he looked pointedly and smugly at Kai. After a murderous glare from the two-toned bluenette, Tyson raced to catch up with his cousin and friends. Kai stalked after the group throwing glares at random patrons at the airport, terrifying the poor people.

Kurumi, as observant as she could be, could also be completely oblivious sometimes, and undoubtedly hadn't noticed the blatant animosity radiating from Kai.

* * *

The five teens soon came to the luggage terminals and attempted to locate which one Kurumi could attain her belongings from. They soon found the right one and Kurumi scouted out her suitcases. They were hard to miss as they were bubblegum pink in colour. 

"Is this all you brought with you?" Tyson asked disbelievingly, staring at the two suitcases; one big one and a marginally smaller one.

"Yes, Mum and Dad have already sent all of my other stuff to the dojo, so it should arrive later today or tomorrow." Kurumi replied with a smile.

Kai, who had refused to help due to his seething, had not failed to notice how all of the other passengers looked at Kurumi. He noted how every person was drawn to the petite blond girl, and the looks that they considered her with. They generally stared in wonderment at her infinite exquisiteness, some (mostly the women and teenage girls) delegated gazes of jealousy and envy towards her, while the males openly raked their eyes over her with expressions of longing on their faces. However, it was some of the older men which Kai found truly disgusting. They were practically salivating and licking their lips over Kurumi while the cogs could be seen working in their perverted minds as they thought sick and highly illegal things.

For some bizarre and unknown reason, Kai felt his anger towards Kurumi abating and instead directing itself at those who would, if given the chance, seriously traumatize the girl with what they would do to her. He found himself experiencing the need to protect the younger girl form the twisted mentalities of the dirty old men. This notion, in turn, seriously disturbed the phoenix holder as he had already declared his dislike for the blond, and he found himself searching out his teammates to see if they had detected anything.

He was surprised to see that all three of the other Bladebreakers were aware of the fact, and that they were glaring intensely at the depraved men, even Max who barely ever glared and even then it was usually only for mocking purposes.

Kai, spurred on by his friend's actions, also participated in warding off those perverse predators, allowing himself a moment of indulgence to bask in the fact that his glares were the most effective.

He didn't really know why he was doing this as he assured himself that he _did not_ like the girl in any way, shape or form; it was just that she was so damn naïve and innocent. She was utterly ignorant to the looks she was receiving and absolutely clueless that Kai felt it would be cruel to break her from this bubble of purity and alert her to the truth that there existed such treacherous people in the world. Actually, all of the Bladebreakers were thinking this to some degree. Therefore, they diverted them before any harm could occur and Kurumi was safe from understanding the dark, austere undertones of reality.

'Why the hell am I being so nice?' Kai wondered in his handsome head, 'It's not like I _really_ care what happens to her it's just to ensure that Tyson doesn't pick a fight about it because I _will_ kill him if he annoys me at the moment.' It was this reason that he choose to explain his acts of kindness and not so hostile behavior towards Kurumi's security, suppressing the feeling that it was wrong.

Kai was evidently in an extremely fragile state of mind at the present time.

"So Kumi, ready to go?" Tyson questioned his cousin.

"Sure, I think I've got everything now so we can go…"Kurumi faded out as she watched intently at someplace to the left of where Tyson was standing.

He raised an eyebrow at Kurumi and pivoted on the spot to see where she was looking. His gaze locked onto a little boy with midnight blue hair, who was about 5 years old. He was searching the crowd with a lost expression on his face and tears were welling up in his eyes.

Tyson turned back to his cousin who bore a concerned look on her delicate features, and who had already started to walk over to the little boy. Tyson quickly trailed her graceful walk, with Max, Ray and Kai after him.

Kurumi reached the boy and knelt down beside him so that they were on the same eye level.

"Hi there. My name's Kurumi, what's yours?" she asked him in a kind and gentle voice.

"I'm Kyo" the boy replied, his voice quivering with the effort of trying not to cry.

"Is there something wrong?"

"I can't find my mummy," Kyo said before he was overwhelmed and the tears began sliding down his rosy cheeks.

"Oh, come here sweetie," Kurumi drew the boy into a loving embrace and ran a hand up and down his back in a comforting manner. Kyo tensed slightly at the action but soon determined that she wasn't going to hurt him and buried his head into her shoulder, crying loudly. Kurumi continued to console the distressed child and murmured soothing words to him.

Eventually the sobs subsided and Kurumi drew Kyo away to look him in the eyes.

"Don't worry, I'll help you find her," she told him, "but I'm going to need your help okay?" Kyo nodded to attest his aid.

"Alright, well you can't see from down there, so up we go," Kurumi lifted the boy onto her hip so he could see the faces of the people passing by. "What does you're mummy look like Kyo?"

"She has hair like mine except its long like yours," he informed her.

"Hmmm…" Kurumi looked around, scrunching her face up into a silly, thoughtful expression. Kyo, upon seeing Kurumi, couldn't help himself and burst into a fit of raucous giggles. In response, Kurumi pressed her forehead to the little boys and began laughing with him.

Kyo abruptly stopped when he perceived the four teens standing behind Kurumi. His eyes went wide with recognition as he asked excitedly, "Are you the Bladebreakers?"

Tyson grinned broadly at this, "You bet!" he said enthusiastically.

"Wow! You're my favourite team. I wanna be just like you when I grow up." Kyo explained to them in an awestruck voice.

"If you practice really hard, I'm sure you'll beat even us one day," Max told the keen little boy.

"Really?"

"Yep, I guarantee you will," Ray added smiling at the young fan.

"So, who's you're favourite? Me right?" Tyson asked, his ego coming into full force.

"No," Kyo replied simply, deflating Tyson's pride, "Kai is."

They all turned to stare at Kai who just stared back. If Kai was socially challenged with people his own age, then imagine what he was like with children. After all, kids…just weren't his thing.

After an elbow to the side form Ray, Kai said awkwardly, "Uh…thanks kid."

Kyo beamed at him, making the usually cool and composed phoenix somewhat uncomfortable with the situation.

At that instant, a scream of "Kyo!" could be heard resounding around the airport, and a very relieved looking woman could be seen running towards the Bladebreakers, Kurumi, and the midnight blue haired 5 year old.

"Mama!" Kyo shrieked in response, a delighted expression upon his little face. He scrambled out of Kurumi's arms and into those of his anguished mother.

"Oh, I was _so_ worried Kyo! I couldn't find you anywhere angel," the alleviated woman breathed, while hugging the little boy close to her and kissing the top of his head, "Thank goodness you're okay."

"Don't worry mama, hime saved me."

"Hime?" the woman questioned her son.

"Yes, hime." Kyo answered while pointing at Kurumi.

The woman followed Kyo's finger until her gaze rested on the striking girl and the four teenaged boys standing with her. She smiled at them, every line in her face expressing her gratitude, "I cannot thank you enough for rescuing my little munchkin hime. My name's Asai Taylor by the way."

"Oh no it was not trouble at all," Kurumi assured Asai in her sweet voice, "But my name's not hime, its Kurumi Granger," she added a little confused.

Ms. Taylor chuckled lightly as she looked the blond girl up and down, "Well Kurumi, I think hime fits you perfectly." She then started nodding her head in agreement as she continued to gaze at Kurumi, saying "definitely" as if it solidified the statement as fact.

"Why?" Kurumi asked absolutely dumbfounded.

"Because you look just like a princess, a fairy princess," Kyo informed her in a matter-of-fact tone.

At this declaration, a deep red blush spread across Kurumi's cheeks and she stuttered out a "O-oh, th-thank you, b-but I'm n-not really any-anything like a p-p-princess."

"Actually, I think that name suits you flawlessly," Ray told the humble girl beside him.

"Yeah, that's what we're gonna call you from now on," Max announced to Kurumi.

"Ah-ha," Tyson nodded his head vigorously, confirming his support for his cousin's new nickname.

Kai remained silent but stole a quick glance at the now furiously blushing Kurumi, rolling his eyes in the process.

'God she's one of those ridiculously annoying modest types,' Kai thought, finding another reason to detest the girl.

"Well, I suppose we should be getting home now. Once again I cannot even begin to express how grateful I am to you all," Asai said as she looked at the five teens.

"No problem," Tyson replied.

"Yes, you're welcome," Kurumi added with a brilliant smile.

"Hold on mama," Kyo said as he climbed down from his mother's arms and took off his backpack. He pulled from it a sheet of paper and a crayon and wrote on it his phone number. He handed it to Kurumi, and instructed her to "Call me _any_time."

She grinned at the boy and beckoned for the crayon. She then wrote down her name and number on the bottom of the paper, tore it off, and gave it to Kyo. "The same goes for you too," she told him, giving him a hug and kissing his brow.

Kyo and his mother then turned and disappeared into the never-ending crowds of people in the airport.

"Let's go, I'm sure Gramps is getting ready to send in a search party to see where we are," Tyson said to the others, turning to walk towards the doors to the outside world.

* * *

Please review to tell me if you liked it or hated it or to tell me of anything else that floats into your mind! 


	4. Chapter 3

Hiya everyone! I hope you all had a fantastic Christmas and New Year and had lots of fun before having to return to mundane life. I know I did!

First off I'd just like to thank Fade to Blue and Silverwing X Moonrise for reviewing last chapter as it made me so happy! I'd also just like to issue this threat - if I don't receive at least three reviews for this chapter I'm not gonna update k?

Please I really need them! Help is always needed particularly from experienced writers!

Anyways, let's move on from there shall we?

Just a few little things to keep in mind so the story makes sense:

I know that Chief only meets Tyson in the first episode of the anime but in this story they've know each other since primary school. Also, this story is set after Grev but I've made it so it corresponds to present time, i.e. the first season of the show would have occurred in 2003/04 and they follow on from there.

Um, I think that's it for now so please read, hopefully enjoy, and remember to REVIEW!

**Disclaimer:** I'll own Beyblade the moment the world starts spinning backwards…

* * *

**Chapter 3**

It was almost 9 o'clock in the morning when Grandpa Granger pulled into the driveway of the dojo.

The group had finally made it home after they were delayed at the airport for at least another 15 minutes by Gramps' emotional reunion with his granddaughter. He had burst into tears and refused to let Kurumi go while proclaiming that he "couldn't believe my little home girl is gonna be livin' at the crib again."

Whatever that meant.

Some may have viewed the scene as touching, but to those present it was kind of disturbing and more than a little nauseating.

However, Tyson and Max had eventually been able to pry the old man off of his youngest grandchild and convinced him to drive them back to the Granger residence, hence their arrival back home.

Kurumi exited the car, taking in the familiar surroundings, and looking up at the place she was to be living in. She sighed affectionately as memories of her childhood came flooding back to her, happy snapshots that had occurred within the confines of the dojo. It was good to be back.

She trailed behind the others as they entered the depths of the traditional Japanese house through the front door.

"What's wrong Kurumi?" Max inquired, turning his head around over his shoulder in order to see the girl behind him.

"Nothing…just remembering," she replied, a small smile creeping onto her face as she looked at her new – and old – home, before following Max over the threshold and into the dojo.

* * *

Kurumi hung the last item from her suitcases, a pretty lemon sundress, in her wardrobe and shut the door while walking into her bedroom. She inspected her surroundings, taking in the room she had occupied when she had alternately resided at the dojo as a child. She was surprised to see that Gramps had left the room the same as it had been when she last stayed there.

Kurumi reminisced clearly about the weekend five years ago that her mother, Tyson and herself had spent painting the bedroom. Gramps had been rather adamant that Kurumi garnish the room to suit herself as he said that it was hers and she had to stay in it when she came to visit. Therefore, she had to be comfortable in it as it would always be there for her whenever she wanted or needed it.

This had lead to a very fun, and messy, weekend of work and the occasional paint fight. However, they had ultimately finished and the results had been more than Kurumi could have hoped for.

The walls and roof depicted a scene of Paris at dusk. It was a view over the rooftops of the most romantic city in the world with the famous landmark, the Eiffel Tower, soaring over the other buildings and the evidence of the beginnings of twinkling stars piercing through the darkening sky.

It was painted in shades of blue, purple, pink, red, orange and yellow, all blended in to perfectly mirror the image it represented. The room had a mystifying quality about it and the murals were expertly executed that they could have been mistaken for something out of a fairytale, which had been the inspiration behind the masterpiece.

Kurumi remembered that she had wanted her room to be decorated in this fashion after having witnessed the dramatic scene first hand. It had been on her first night in Paris when she had watched the sunset from her balcony and it had taken her breath away. She had felt the magic of the city in that single moment, understanding the special aura it possessed, the power it held, and fell in love with it instantaneously. It spoke with a passionate voice promising mystery, adventure, and above all else, love.

Sighing with reflection, Kurumi looked around the bedroom again, absorbing and relishing the feelings it brought back, and the spell that it cast upon her. She slowly walked out of the room, thinking that even though it was not the real Paris, it still affected her all the same.

The blond girl made her way down the hallway, passing Ray and Kai's rooms before she reached the stairs.

Ray's bedroom was situated across from Kurumi's, while Kai's was located next to hers on the left, much to Kai's displeasure. However, it would have been far too immature of the phoenix blader to complain about something so trivial as sleeping arrangements, so he did not articulate his objections, only scowled.

Kurumi continued on down the stairs and tracked the sound of voices until she came to the living room. There she found Ray sitting on the couch, Kai in one of the armchairs with arms folded and eyes closed, and Max and Tyson sprawled on the floor eating candy.

She entered the room and sat down on the couch with Ray. He smiled at her, which she returned, and asked to make conversation, "So, are you glad to be back?"

Kurumi contemplated a second before replying honestly, "Yes, I really am. I think this will probably be the longest I've ever lived in the one place before."

"What do you mean?" Max inquired interested.

"Well, you see my parents are archaeologists/historians-"

"You mean Uncle Leonard is, but Aunt Akiko?" Tyson questioned skeptically.

Kurumi laughed at this and then explained, "I suppose you right. My Mum is more of a free spirit and tends to do whatever she wants, although she is technically still all of those things. It's just that she prefers to focus her research on myths and legends and things of that description."

"That is so cool!" Max exclaimed.

"I must admit that it has made my life extremely interesting and I've gotten to experience so many things and live in the most incredible places."

"How so?" Ray queried intrigued.

"Well, we spent 6 months in Transylvania when I was 8 searching for Dracula and evidence that vampires actually do exist. When we found nothing, Mum moved on and made us go on a quest for the Fountain of Youth that took us to some of the remotest and most exotic places of Earth, but that yet again ended in failure," Kurumi recalled fondly, "I've also lived in Africa for awhile as we searched for Pandora's box and Greece, looking for the lost library of Alexander the Great."

"Whoa! You are so lucky!" Max said, starting to get hyper from all of the candy he had consumed.

"Yeah, talk about exciting," Ray agreed with his blond friend, "So, both of your parents' research myths?"

"Not exactly. Usually it's just Mum and me going on her, what she likes to call research trips but I like to call adventures, and Dad is off doing research on actual archaeological digs with real sites and history. But sometimes we'd join him wherever he was and work on the same project until it finished or Mum discovered another expedition to go on or another mythical creature to chase," Kurumi chuckled appreciatively, "I generally went with Mum because Dad thought it would be more fun for me, and it was _always_ fun. Although I do remember once Dad actually joined us instead of the other way around."

"What happened?" Ray asked curiously.

"Um, it was the first time he had ever come with us. We were researching werewolves in Europe and Mum thought it would be cool and more fascinating if we looked for them by joining the circus. Don't worry I never saw the connection either. We spent 2 years travelling around while performing in the circus and found nothing, although I think Mum just used research as a way to justify joining the circus because she'd always wanted to. Consequently, Dad never came with us again!"

They all laughed, bar Kai, at this proclamation.

"So what are your parents working on now?"

Tyson answered this time.

"Their working with my Dad and Hiro researching the bit-beasts."

"Yes, they're in Canada at the moment with Uncle Bruce."

"But I thought you said your parents don't really work together?" Max asked, slightly confused.

"They don't normally but this is different. It has enough history and credibility for my Dad and enough myth and lunacy for my Mum! It's the perfect combination, plus it's something they're both tremendously fascinated in."

"Hey Kurumi, speaking of bit-beasts, do you Beyblade?"

"Of course she does! She-"

"Hey guys." Tyson was interrupted by the sudden appearance of Kenny walking into the living room, Dizzi under his arm.

Kurumi jumped up and spun around to face the shorter boy, glasses atop his head in their typical position. Kenny just stared at her, his mind unable to comprehend who was standing in front of him.

Finally, his brain was able to process what his eyes were seeing and he spluttered out "K-Kurumi?" in a surprised tone.

"Chief!" Kurumi squealed out in excitement as she ran to him with the intention of giving him a hug. However, in her rapidity she accidentally tripped on her own feet and fell onto the smaller teen, landing on top of him.

This caused the Chief to turn a brilliant shade of beet red which only increased in intensity as Kurumi, still in the rather awkward pose, embraced him and kissed him on the cheek while exclaiming about how happy she was to see him.

Tyson, Max and Ray couldn't contain their laughter at Kenny's reaction as they had never seen him so spectacularly red or embarrassed before. They were holding their sides, with tears threatening to spill from their eyes, while bent double with their amusement. It truly was a priceless sight.

Kai, who had opened a garnet eye to see what was so funny, couldn't help the small smirk that found its way onto his face as he observed the situation playing out in front of him. He also found the Chief's quandary and response humorous, but then again he generally derived pleasure from others pain and misery. Hey, it's just who he was.

Kurumi, on the other hand, had failed to grasp what was so amusing to the boys until realization suddenly dawned and she quickly stood up, freeing the Chief from underneath her and ending the questionable arrangement immediately. Her face also blazed at the fact that she had been practically _straddling_ the bespectacled boy, although she didn't register the intimate connotations of the position, only the proximity of it.

"I'm so sorry Chief!" Kurumi exclaimed, mortified by humiliation.

The laughter gradually subsided, as did the blushes of the two teens responsible for the whole ordeal.

"Oh man, that was hilarious," Tyson said while wiping his watering eyes, "Chief you should have seen your face."

This statement caused a new round of laughter to erupt which lasted for a few minutes duration before being gained under control again.

"So, ah, Kurumi what are you doing here?" Kenny asked in an effort to divert the others attention from the previously uncomfortable circumstances for the present moment.

Conversely, he was not foolish enough to presume that they would forget the incident so easily, and knew he would be mocked severely for it at a later date. After all, he wasn't unintelligent enough to think that there would be no consequences or repercussions to the escapade and that it would never be brought up again. Oh no, the Chief wasn't stupid. He knew better, far better.

"I've moved back here," came Kurumi's reply.

"How come?"

"Hey yeah Kuru. I never asked why you came back to live here," Tyson put in thoughtfully, a rare occurrence of tone from the bluenette.

"Well, I've wanted to come for awhile, at least to visit, and then this new assignment came up, which was going to take up a lot of time. Mum and Dad both decided that maybe it was time for me to have a – how did they put it – a stable home and to go to a real school for longer than a couple of months. They asked me what I thought about the idea of coming back to Tokyo to live at the dojo, if Gramps agreed of course, as they would most likely be working in places devoid of much civilization for long periods. I got so excited and said I thought it was a fantastic idea, so that's basically the reason why I'm here know," she finished her account.

"Cool! It doesn't really matter anyway, I'm just excited that your back 'cos it's gonna be awesome," Tyson told his cousin while grabbing her off the couch and onto the floor.

"Tyson! Let go!" Kurumi pleaded through her giggles.

"Nope. Not until you say the magic word."

"What? Food?" the smaller girl asked humorously.

At the mere mention of the word 'food' Tyson's stomach erupted in loud rumblings of desire, yearning for it like it hadn't had any in a long time. Tyson looked around sheepishly at his friends while saying, "What! I'm hungry okay?"

"Tyson, you're always hungry," Ray replied while shaking his raven haired head.

Kurumi rolled her eyes playfully while stating, "Some things never change."

Max and Kenny laughed at this while Kai looked at the baseball capped teen in disgust.

"I'll go get lunch prepared," Ray sighed exasperated, "It's nearly lunchtime anyway."

He walked out of the room and into the kitchen.

"Here, let me help you," Kurumi offered making to get up of the floor.

"NO!" Tyson and the Chief both practically yelled in absolute horror.

Max, Ray, Kurumi and Kai all looked at the other two boys for elaboration on the outburst.

"I mean, Kumi are you sure that's a good idea?" Tyson ventured to ask.

"Yes, you must be exhausted after your flight," Kenny added in a hope to dissuade her.

"No, I'm fine really."

"Look Kurumi, I don't think it's such a great idea for you to help Ray," Tyson gently told her, "Do you not remember the pancake incident of '99?"

"The spaghetti sauce incident of '01?" the Chief added fearfully.

"The roast turkey incident of '02?" both boys cried out together, shuddering involuntarily at the obviously traumatizing memory.

At these recollections, Kurumi's shoulders slumped forward and she had her eyes downcast while she sadly said, "I remember."

A second later she perked up and happily informed them all, "But that was a long time ago," before moving to go to the kitchen to assist Ray.

"Kurumi, don't you remember why you got expelled from that school in France?" Tyson resorted desperately in an attempt to sway her mind.

'Expelled?' Kai thought to himself surprised. That was something he certainly wasn't expecting, as he had already written her off as a goody-two-shoes who would never even dream of breaking the rules. Maybe there was still hope for her.

After an exaggerated pause, she glumly replied "Yes" while looking the epitome of miserable once again.

"Why'd you get expelled?" Max couldn't help asking as his, and secretly Kai's, curiosity craved to be sated.

"I accidentally burned down the school kitchens," she informed him in a rather depressed tone.

"How?"

"I tried to boil water," came the reply, "All I did was turn the stove on and then everything caught on fire. All that was left of the building was ashes after the fire was put out. I guess I'm like an unintentional pyromaniac in the kitchen."

This revelation was met with dead silence.

"Look on the bright side hime, at least you learned something," Max tried to cheer the young girl up and fill in the heavy silence.

"Your right Max and I suppose the only way to get better is to practice," Kurumi said brightly, a smile upon her innocent face. She walked towards the door once again while Tyson urgently said "Kurumi, really-" but she cut him off before he could continue his protests.

"Well, nobodies died yet from something I've _managed_ to cook," Kurumi joked, exiting the room and following Ray into the kitchen.

"No, just the cat," Tyson muttered under his breath.

"Huh?" Max asked Tyson, having heard what he said clearly. Apparently the bluenette had never mastered the art of talking in an undertone as Kenny was also looking for clarification on the subject and Kai had an eyebrow cocked.

Tyson exhaled and then explained.

"We used to have a cat, Mr. Tattlebells, when I was 9-"

"Oh yeah, I remember him. That cat had an iron stomach; he could eat _anything_ and never got sick as a result. Didn't he rum away?" The Chief interjected the elucidation.

"Hold on, I'm getting to that. Well anyway, one night Kuru decided she wanted to cook dinner. Let's just say that the result wasn't exactly fit for human consumption but we didn't want to hurt her feelings so we fed it to the cat and pretended we ate it. And Chief, Mr. Tattlebells didn't run away, it's just that nobody had the heart to tell Kurumi that he died from severe food poisoning."

Tyson sighed as he concluded the tale of the demise of Mr. Tattlebells at the hands of a little girl with the inability to cook.

Needless to say, when Ray called to the other teens signifying that lunch was ready, they were quite reluctant, and in Kenny's case perturbed, to go to the kitchen.

* * *

It was now relatively late at night as Kurumi unpacked some of the boxes containing her possessions, which had arrived in the afternoon, and putting them away in their new home.

After lunch, which would subsequently become known as the sandwich incident of '07, the six teens had spent the remainder of the day either catching up or getting to know one another. This had continued well into the evening and Kurumi had only now gotten the chance to unburden some of the boxes that were currently taking up a large portion of her bedroom.

She carefully unfolded the tissue paper from around an intricately sequined royal blue silk top, and hung the item tentatively on a coat hanger in her very spacious walk-in-wardrobe. She looked around, grateful for the size as she had ridiculous amounts of clothing and shoes to find accommodation for in the wardrobe.

Like many girls, Kurumi had an obsession with shopping and loved the feeling of finding that perfect piece which made the whole experience truly worth it. Her addiction to clothes, shoes, handbags and all other such things, as well as her insatiable penchant for shopping, was a trait she had inherited from her mother, much to her father's, and his wallet's, utter dismay.

As Kurumi unpacked the last item from the box, an exquisite snow white baby doll satin top that had a tulle overlay flowing from the bust and adorned with pink beaded and sequined flowers and baby green leaves, she reached for the next one.

She pulled the tape off and unfolded the lid of cardboard to expose the contents. Inside was more clothes, or so that's what Kurumi thought on first inspection. However, under the first garment, and nestled in between others in an effort to avoid damage, was a chest.

Kurumi gingerly lifted the heavy chest out of the box and walked over to her bed, placing it down as she sat on the mattress. She pulled her legs up and sat cross legged in front of the chest, running her hands softly over the ornately carved lid.

It was a deep mahogany in colour, and the dark wood was embossed with elaborate designs, runes, and illustrations of mythical creatures the likes of which Kurumi had never seen before. Nonetheless, it was the symbol and words emblazed on the lid which was the most mysterious thing about the chest, albeit the contents. It was a star and crescent moon encompassed by a large circle, which Kurumi had always thought of as the sun.

Underneath this strange insignia was the phrase 'Miata Ip Ner Ealow'. The meaning of these four words evaded Kurumi but she somehow knew that they were important.

Kurumi ran her thin fingers over the grooves in the lid once more before stopping at the golden clasp which, surprisingly, had not dulled over the years. She thought back to the first time that she had ever seen the chest.

She had been 6 years old at the time and she had been staying with her paternal grandfather. They were cleaning out the attic of the old Victorian manor he used to live in, and Kurumi had found it hidden behind and shadowed by some article of furniture. The moment she had laid her eyes on it she knew that there was something special about it. She was transfixed and entranced by it, and didn't hear her grandfather calling her until he came to her side.

Once he saw what had diverted her attention, he understood in an instant. He had picked the chest up and taken it over to the window, handling it like it was priceless, in order to show it to Kurumi in all its majestic glory.

Her grandfather then relayed the tale of how it had come into his possession with a far-away look upon his features.

He had been in his early 20's and on an expedition of adventure in Venice. It was in a tiny antique shop, half-forgotten down one of the alleyways, when he had laid eyes upon the treasure. He told his young granddaughter how he had been drawn to it, how it had seemed to emit an odd aura that conveyed importance and power.

"I bought it without a second thought. I knew that it was extraordinary, as I'm sure you already know," he had informed the wide-eyed little girl.

"But what's in it Grandpa?" Kurumi had asked in a voice laced with wonder and inquisitiveness.

"That, my dear, remains to this day a mystery," he had responded while indicating to the clasp.

Where there should have been a keyhole there was…nothing. There was no possible way to open the chest and with a try of the lid, it highlighted the fact that the chest was most securely locked. No amount of pulling or prodding yielded any movement in the lid from the body and it remained closed, shielding and protecting whatever lay inside from the external world.

Her grandfather had looked upon the chest with sad eyes and had said, "I've always wondered what it hid within its depths but, alas, I guess it is not my destiny to discover its secrets."

Four years had passed until Kurumi had come into contact with the chest again.

It had been passed into her guardianship when she had inherited it after the untimely death of her grandfather. It had been in the dead of night, two days after the funeral that the chest had decided that Kurumi was worthy of its secrets.

The clock had struck midnight and the blond haired girl had been admiring the alluring wooden box by torchlight beneath the cover of her blankets.

She had been thinking relentlessly about it, determined to find a means to open it. She sought to illuminate what it cosseted, not for her own sake but for her beloved grandfather, who had wanted to know with a well disguised passion.

As Kurumi had thought this, she had placed her forefinger where the keyhole was supposed to reside. Then she felt it.

A warmth, not unpleasant in nature, had spread from her very core – her heart – and steadily consumed her entire body. It had flowed down her arm, slowly entered her hand and then her extended finger. As soon as it reached the very tip of her digit Kurumi had heard a faint clicking sound issuing from the chest and the lid had unfastened a fraction, finally allowing entrance.

With shaking hands she had pushed the lid up to reveal what lay within the confines of the wooden chest.

Inside were three objects.

The first item had been a small leather bound book, adorned with the unique insignia and words from the lid, which Kurumi had flipped through the pages of. It was hand written and began in a neat script but as the pages progressed, the writing became more and more rushed and sporadic until it was almost illegible at the end. It also finished rather abruptly.

As to the character of the contents, Kurumi didn't have the faintest clue. The language it was written in was the same as those of the words on the front of the lid were printed in. Kurumi had originally thought that it was Latin, but after much investigation she had discovered that it didn't correspond to it. In fact, it didn't coincide with _any_ language known to the human conscience, or at least to those from the past few thousand years.

Kurumi had then shut the book and put it back into the chest.

She then had proceeded to pick up the second article, a black silk box. She undid the golden clasp and found inside, nestled in folds of red velvet, a crystal ball. Well, at least that's what it reminded Kurumi of. It was a perfectly spherical glass orb that contained a thick white opaque smoke substance. No matter how many times it was dropped it never shattered and always remained cool to the touch. Its purpose and function was yet another mystery to the girl.

She had sighed wistfully and replaced the orb delicately into its box before putting it back into its position in the chest.

The last, but most certainly not least, object had been a locket. It was a rather large heart in shape and made from the same brilliant gold metal that the clasps on the chest and box were created out of. It too was imprinted with the unusual insignia and hung from a rather long chain.

Kurumi had been intrigued by this discovery and had attempted to open it. She had once again felt the warmth in her body building up and a quiver of excitement had jolted through her. A faded white glow had exuded from the locket before it had swung unlocked.

What Kurumi had found inside had been nothing like she was expecting. In that moment, as she gazed into the inner sanctuary of the locket, she fully understood why the chest would not open for just anyone, though she didn't really know why it opened for her. She comprehended why the chest had that haunting sensation that conjured feelings of importance and power, and why it was kept hidden for so long. However, it would not be until several weeks later that the young girl would learn just how dangerous the locket could be, and why it was cardinal to keep it concealed.

As Kurumi retracted herself from her mind's eye, she realized that almost subconsciously she had pulled the long chain out from underneath her clothes and rubbed her thumb over the hearts smooth surface.

She handled it with care, looking at it lovingly, knowing that she would try to guard it for as long as she lived. After all, that was her duty, she had accepted that the second she had put the locket around her neck. She was bound to it, as it was bound to her, and she knew that if she could have the choice all over again, she would do nothing different. Nothing.

Kurumi placed the locket beneath her t-shirt once more and focused her concentration back onto the mahogany chest in front of her.

She felt the now familiar warmth run through her, and the soft clinking noise as the lock unclasped, freeing the lid from the body. She lifted the lid and peered inside to make sure that everything was alright after the move.

The book and orb were both safe and in faultless condition, as were her beyblade, launcher and ripcord. Kurumi had stored them there during the move as it just seemed…appropriate, as if they belonged there. She pulled the three foreign objects out of the chest and placed them in the draw of her bedside table.

Kurumi then closed the lid of the chest, picked it up and took it to the wardrobe. Once there, she charily concealed the treasure behind a pair of shoes and a couple of handbags before smiling contently, closing the door and walking back into her bedroom.

* * *

Please remember to R&R!!! 


	5. Chapter 4

I'm back! How is everybody since last we encountered one another? Good I hope?

Anyways here is Chapter 4! I don't really have anything particularly interesting to say except that I hope you all review!!!

I said that I wasn't going to update until I got at least 3 reviews for the last chapter. Well, I only got 2 so this time if I don't get 3 I really am not gonna update!!! I MEAN IT!

Huge thanks to Fade to Blue and Silverwing X Moonrise who did actually remember to review, you guys are awesome! Lots of hugs for you both!

I'm sorry if this chapter isn't that good but I had a really hard time writing it so if it sucks just tell me k?

" "- speech

' '- thought

_italics_- generally used to indicate or a bit-beast speaking

Well, on with the story then…

**Disclaimer:** If I owned Beyblade I wouldn't be writing fan fiction…maybe…I still might though…you never know…

* * *

**Chapter 4**

Day had yet to successfully breach the border of the horizon, a faint haze of orange and yellow the only indication that the sun was about to arise from its nightly slumber and shine it's rays once more upon the world.

A solitary figure stood sheathed in relative darkness in the middle of the back garden of the Granger dojo, a beyblade fitted in its launcher ready to be released at the desire of the two-toned bluenette holding it.

Kai pulled the ripcord with force, ensuring that the beyblade, Dranzer, was launched with speed and power. Despite this, Dranzer overshot her target, a flat stone several metres in front of Kai, by a few inches.

The red phoenix holder growled in frustration and recalled his beyblade.

'I'm not stopping until I get this,' Kai told himself with determination, fixing Dranzer to her launcher and preparing to discharge her once again.

With a hard yank on the ripcord, the blue beyblade flew through the chill air, cutting it with precision. However, this time it landed just shy of the stone, causing Kai to summon Dranzer back to him and load her once more.

This continued on for some time. The sun had finally managed to penetrate the boundary where sky meets land and was slowly waking the colours of life up, but Kai had yet to notice.

He was so focused on perfecting his aim that he didn't even hear the back door slide open or the soft pattering of footsteps on the wooden floorboards of the porch. Nor did he sense the presence stop and sit down on the step, or the gaze which was now concentrated solely on him.

It was a few minutes before Kai vaguely felt the eyes on his back and he turned around to see who had come to witness and disturb his practice.

He had been expecting it to be Ray, the only other one of his teammates who would ever even contemplate getting up this early willingly, but was surprised when his crimson orbs were captured by the most amazing pair of eyes he had ever seen. They stared straight back into his, not wavering in the slightest under his intense scrutiny, as the petite blond girl they belonged to stood up from her position on the porch.

It was the first time that Kai had really looked at Kurumi, and he found himself staring directly into her eyes. What he experienced in that instant, when his eyes locked onto hers, was something he had never felt before. He felt as though she could see him clearly, like she could see behind the cold impenetrable mask that he always had up, and into the murky depths of his soul. It was as if she knew of everything he had been through in his life, all of the pain, hurt and tragedy, the torture, the abuse and the sadness, everything that had moulded him into the person he was now.

As Kai looked into the infinite deep of Kurumi's eyes, he found himself wanting to delve into the inner nadir of her being, to find out everything about her and to fully understand her.

As he became aware of this thought he established that this want or compulsion truly unnerved him. He was intimidated by the possibility of what he might find there, of the carefully crafted illusion that may shatter if he looked too long at it, and, most profoundly, of how she viewed him. Kai didn't want to have to deal with the fact that Kurumi could perhaps see him differently, could perceive all of the emotions and aspects of his character that he had spent years burying, and in a single moment destroy all that he had worked so hard to achieve. But above all else, he feared that he may actually care what she thought of him and this was what really scared him.

However, before Kai could break the connection, Kurumi ended it by closing her mesmerizing eyes and smiling cheerily up at him.

"Good morning Kai," she said in a happy tone, "Would you like some coffee?"

Kai pushed all of his inner turmoil aside for the present and eyed the offered cup dubiously. As if Kurumi could read his mind she answered, "Don't worry, I didn't make it. All I did was press the button on the coffee machine; I don't think I could have mucked it up too badly!"

He hesitated a second longer before extending a hand and grasping the handle of the proffered mug.

"Thanks," he said stiffly as he sat down on the step.

"You're welcome," came the reply of the perpetually high spirited girl.

Kurumi also lowered herself to the step and sat down, making sure that she was a respectful distance from Kai.

"So, do you always get up this early?" She inquired, hoping to engage in a conversation with the stoic blader.

"Hn.," was the only reply she received so she prodded further.

"Why?"

"Why do you get up so early?" Kai countered, deflecting Kurumi's question and turning it back on her. He was beginning to feel slightly irritated with her, particularly as he was in such a confused frame of mind.

"Oh, dawn's my favourite time of the day. Dawn and dusk, but dawn in particular," she said with a smile, "I love watching the world as life returns to it and the peaceful feeling that exists exclusively at this time. It's so tranquil yet so alive."

"I also find the battle between the light and darkness captivating, each striving for dominance and yet neither really ever obtaining it. Dawn and dusk, the only times when light and dark are able to fight for supremacy, even though they both know that they cannot exist without the other. They are also the only periods when a perfect balance between two conflicting elements can be seen, that split second in time when both are equal before one is able to overpower and conquer the other briefly. It's a beautiful sight."

At the conclusion of this explanation, Kai was thoroughly awed by Kurumi's answer. He had definitely not been expecting such a complex and considered response, instead choosing to believe that she would reply with some lame reaction like she thought the sunrise was pretty. Even he could not deny that there was more to Kurumi than met the eye, much more.

"You don't think one is stronger than the other?" Kai asked while he looked at Kurumi from the corner of his eye.

"Well, I suppose the light is," she answered in a contemplative tone while staring at the changing colours of the sky, "No matter how hard the dark tries, as soon as dawn comes, the light returns to claim its victory from the darkness. In the eternal struggle between the two, the light always comes to beat the dark and reaffirm its authority."

"But you can say that about the darkness too," Kai argued, pointing out the obvious flaw in the girl's logic, "You can say that every time the dusk comes, the darkness wins against the light."

"That's true; I guess you can view it like that. But even then, have you ever noticed how the light can survive in the darkness while the darkness cannot prevail in the company of light. When consumed by dark, the light can continue to live, like a candle light for example, but the darkness is reduced to mere shadows when exposed to its counterpart." Kurumi paused before going on, "I don't know maybe I'm just biased, I don't think I'd like to be trapped by darkness forever. However, I must agree to some extent for the light cannot be truly complete without the darkness."

A lull in the conversation followed this statement as each sat thinking silently to themselves.

Kai was berating himself for interacting with the girl he had sworn to dismiss, while avidly repressing the notion that he had actually _enjoyed_ speaking with her. She wasn't the airheaded bimbo he had assumed her to be, she was…different. Kurumi looked at the world in a way that Kai had never encountered before. It was such a pure and innocent view, yet at the same time it was incredibly aware and wise beyond its years. Her appreciation for the subtle and elusive was refreshing, but her ability to perceive what shouldn't be able to be seen was also disturbing to the phoenix master.

Kai did not like how Kurumi had so easily pierced through his defenses when she looked into his garnet orbs, and even though he wasn't sure that she had seen anything, he nonetheless detested the feeling that he got that she knew exactly what had befallen him. He hated the fact that she may have been privy to his most secured and fortified inner self and secrets, with a simple glance into his eyes, and that she had the capability to fracture his flawlessly fashioned persona.

He therefore came to the decision that he needed to be vigilant in keeping his guard up around the stunning blond and to make sure that he kept himself wary and alert at all times.

Kai had completely disregarded the weird sensation that he had encountered when their eyes had met and had instead chosen to ignore it and pretend like it had never happened. He didn't want to know what the strange spark between the two of them meant and hastened to plunge it into the unreachable corners of his mind. He was unprepared, and highly opposed, to deal with what it could reveal, especially in his current state of disorder and perplexity. After all, if there was one thing Kai could not stand, it was being bewildered.

After a few minutes, Kurumi shook her head and freed herself from the trance-like state of thought she had just been in.

"Well, we've certainly been very philosophical this morning," she said in her previously joyous tone, while turning to smile at the boy beside her.

Kai just stared out in front of him and refrained from speaking. He abruptly stood up, placed the now empty cup of coffee on the step and walked back to where he had been practicing before Kurumi's arrival.

Kai reloaded Dranzer and began the arduous task of channeling his aim, once again centering exclusively on the rather small, smooth stone. He knew that Kurumi was still there watching but he managed to block her out and immerse himself in his training.

The sun had entirely risen by the time the back door opened once more. Ray stepped out into the crisp morning air and approached Kurumi.

"Good morning hime, I hope you slept well," he said to her while joining her on the porch.

"Oh, good morning Ray. Yes, I slept very well, thank you for asking," she replied politely.

"That's good to hear. I didn't think that you'd be up yet."

"I always get up early. I know strange huh? Considering Tyson's sleeping habits. But thankfully there not genetic," she quipped light heartedly.

Ray snorted at this and turned to observe his captain.

"How long has he been at it?" he inquired inclining his head in Kai's direction.

"Um, well I've been out here for about an hour and Kai was already here when I came out, so I guess awhile," Kurumi replied to the nekojin.

"What!? And he still hasn't perfected his aim yet?" Ray asked stunned.

Suddenly the sound of a beyblade spinning stopped, and in response to the unexpected lack of sound, Ray and Kurumi looked up to Kai.

They were met with a glare, specifically directed towards the raven haired teen.

"Oops! I guess he heard me," Ray said in a rather small voice.

"I'd like to see you try it Ray," Kai said in a cold snarl while refusing to cease his world famous glower.

"Aaahhh…"

"No, please, go ahead. Show me how it's done," the bluenette sustained.

"Um…okay," Ray faltered, flinching under the unwavering glare from the older blader.

Ray slowly walked towards Kai while pulling his blade, Drigger, out of his pocket and attaching him to his launcher.

Kurumi, who had been watching the exchange worriedly, hesitantly followed Ray to where Kai stood.

Once in position, Ray raised his launcher and adjusted his stance according to his target. When he was satisfied, he skillfully released the blade and viewed as it missed the stone by a couple of inches. He recalled Drigger and turned to face Kurumi and Kai.

A triumphant smirk was gracing the latter's face, while the former was looking at him thoughtfully.

"Heh, I guess it's not as easy as it looks," Ray admitted shamefacedly.

"Really? You don't say," came the sarcastic remark of the red phoenix.

"Hey guys, can I have a go?" Kurumi asked of the two teens before her.

"Yeah sure," came the immediate reply from Ray.

The blond then faced Kai waiting for his approval.

The boy in question remained with his mouth fixed shut as several thoughts rushed through his head. First of all, he ruthlessly doubted her blading skills as he was sure that if Ray and he, two of the world's top bladers, couldn't get it automatically then Kurumi wouldn't be able to. After all, she didn't really look like the type of person who bladed seriously or who had an idea of what to actually do. Then again, it would be funny when she missed and then he would be able to gloat smugly.

Although this had negative repercussions as well as he was sure that she would cry if he said anything remotely mean to her, that is after she actually managed to realize he was being mean to her, and then tell Tyson. Then he would have to listen to Tyson's attempt at scolding him for being cruel to his beloved cousin which he could only handle for so long without snapping and causing physical pain.

Eventually he replied indifferently with "Hn. Whatever."

"Thanks!" Kurumi exclaimed merrily, "let me just go and get my blade."

"Here, you can use Drigger if you want," Ray offered to his new friend.

"Oh, I couldn't possibly use you're blade! Let me just go and get mine, it will only take a moment," she cried out in protest.

"No seriously, here, it's fine," Ray said laughing as he handed her his blade, launcher and ripcord.

"Wow, thank you Ray," Kurumi relayed looking down at the white beyblade with reverence. She handled it with the uttermost care and respect as she held it and fitted it the launcher.

Kai, who witnessed this nice act, couldn't quite comprehend what Ray was thinking. No professional blader would ever lend their blade to an amateur to use, or anyone for that fact. Well, if Ray wanted to be an idiot, who was he to stop him?

Kurumi approached the place that Ray had just vacated and surveyed her mark critically. She raised Drigger and got set to launch.

Ray watched the blond with interest and encouragement while Kai looked on contemptuously at her attempt.

All of a sudden, Kurumi lowered her arms and took a step forward before raising the launcher and taking aim.

Both boys noticed that the smaller girl had also lowered her arms slightly from the height they had formerly been at.

Without a word Kurumi pulled the ripcord with a surprising strength and discharged the white beyblade.

All three teens monitored as the blade sliced through the still sir and landed in the very centre of the stone, spinning without wavering in the least.

"Whoa! Kurumi that was awesome!" Ray proclaimed after pulling his jaw up off the ground, "How did you do that?"

"Oh, it was nothing really."

'Nothing?' Kai thought aggravated, a vein throbbing in his forehead at Kurumi's modesty. _He_ couldn't even do it, and then she did it on her first go! Nothing? 'Like hell it was nothing!'

"No really Kuru, that was great. You've got to show us how you did that."

"Well, um, okay then," she stuttered in reply, "Please come and stand where I am."

Ray obediently followed Kurumi's instructions and stood where she was.

"Could you please raise your arms like you're about to launch."

Ray took his blading stance when asked but refrained from actually pulling the ripcord of the launcher.

Kurumi kept switching her glance from Ray to the stone and back again as if making an assessment of some kind.

"Ray could you take a small step backwards and lower your arms a fraction," he complied immediately, "Thanks, try it now."

With that, the nekojin freed the beyblade and watched in amazement as it hit the target dead centre and continued to spin normally.

"Yes! Thanks hime, you're the best! Kai you've got to try," Ray cried out in enthusiasm.

Kurumi turned her magnificent head towards the two-toned bluenette as if asking if he wanted her help. He made no indications of acknowledgment towards the girl but strolled forward and took Ray's position nonetheless. After all he did promise himself that he wasn't going to stop until he got it; although he refused to concede that he needed assistance, especially from _her_.

Silently, Kai assumed his balding position and launched Dranzer. He looked on as the blue blade soared through the air and…missed the target?

"Huh? What just happened? Kai should of got that, I mean I did," Ray voiced, rather confused by what had just happened.

Kai, who was quite infuriated by this stage, turned to Ray and spat out in a dangerous tone, "Are you saying that you're a better blader than I am Ray?"

"No, of course not! That's not what I meant! I was just trying to say that I don't understand how you missed," Ray backpedaled furiously.

The anger etched face of the Bladebreakers captain then turned to the blond haired girl standing on his left. He toward menacingly over her and demanded, "Well?"

She did not respond instantaneously, instead she proceeded to look the fuming blader up and down. This made Kai slightly insecure about himself and he felt the rage subsiding as embarrassment overtook him. Was she checking him out?

This thought however was quickly dispelled as Kurumi inquired of the now flustered Kai (only on the inside of course, on the outside he still held the same expression as before), "Dranzer's an offense and defense blade right?"

"Hn."

Kurumi nodded at this and then continued to think to herself. Kai, on the other hand couldn't believe that he had actually thought that she was checking him out. He never thought things like that. Never ever. What was wrong with him? He was also having a hard time trying to explain the minor disappointment he was feeling when he realized that she wasn't interested in him, but he coolly played it off as being from the fact that he had missed the stone and Ray hadn't.

Eventually she said, "Okay then, could you please take two steps back and raise your launcher higher by about an inch?"

Kai complied with her request as he was still kind of dazed from his frightening thoughts and therefore couldn't dispute right at that moment.

"Great, try it now," Kurumi encouraged the bluenette in a kind tone.

He did as was told and released Dranzer. The three teens watched as the blue beyblade landed in the exact middle of the small surface of the stone and spun without swaying.

"You did it!" Kurumi exclaimed gleefully at the sight before her eyes.

"How?" was the only thing that Kai said.

"Yeah, how did you manage to do it? I mean, what were we doing wrong?" Ray sided with Kai, curiosity evident.

"Oh, well you see it wasn't that there was anything wrong with how you were launching your blades it was more the positioning that you were in." Kurumi explicated, but being met with blank stares she continued, "The stone is a stationary object which can't move, so taking that into account _you_ have to adjust your position relative to where it is. Therefore, based on your heights and the angle at which you hold your launchers, it was easy to calculate how far you had to move in order to hit the target."

"You actually did that in your head!?" Ray asked sounding shocked and slightly nauseous after hearing that Kurumi had really found a use for the, what he always thought was useless, mathematics they were forced to learn in school.

Before she could answer however, Kai cut in with a question of his own, "How come you told us to adjust our arms then?"

"Well that had to with your beyblades. Dranzer being an offense and defense blade means that she is naturally heavier than Drigger as he is a speed blade. Given that fact, you needed to give her more height in order to be able to hit the stone, taking into account all of the other factors that had to be considered, such as your height etc. The same principle applies to Drigger except he needed to be lower because he is lighter and therefore would travel further after being launched." Kurumi finished as Kai nodded his head in understanding.

"You must be an awesome blader," Ray told Kurumi in admiration.

"N-no not r-really. Not compared to you guys at l-least. What I just did wasn't an indication of my blading s-skills it was more just mathematics," the blond stammered and flushed a pink hue at the assumption.

"Just maths? Yeah right!"

"No really it was! I like math…" she trailed off as she saw the appalled look on Ray's face.

He turned towards Kai and said in an aghast voice, "Is she crazy?"

Kai, for his part, just shrugged his shoulders and stared at the girl, adding to the anxious look that now graced her beautiful features.

"Am I not supposed to like it?' she inquired extremely worried.

Ray burst out laughing at her innocence and swung an arm around her small frame, "Don't worry we were just joking! You can like whatever you want hime. Just maybe don't mention the fact that you like math around Tyson otherwise he might have a coronary."

"Yes you're right, he never was very partial to working with numbers," she added in giggling.

"Or words," Kai supplemented, always enjoying the chance to mock the younger blader.

After getting his laughter under control, Ray told Kurumi, "You have to let me battle you later okay?"

"Um, alright, but I have to go against Tyson first. He made me promise last night, it was the only way he would let me go to bed!" she exclaimed exasperated.

"That's cool, as long as I get to go second," Ray said in response.

"Sure, but I probably won't be very good."

"Somehow I doubt that. Anyway let's go in and I'll get some breakfast ready."

The three turned and started walking back towards the back door of the dojo.

"I'll help if you want," Kurumi offered to the nekojin.

"NO!" came the horrified voice of both Ray _and_ Kai.

* * *

A beyblade dish separated the two opponents from each other, providing the grounds for the ensuing conflict to take place in.

Tyson and Kurumi stood facing one another, launchers raised and waiting for Max to countdown so that they could start the beybattle.

Ray and Kai, arms folded across his toned chest of course, stood further back from the dish but ensured that they still had a clear view of the two cousins.

Kenny, who had arrived at the dojo earlier that morning, sat on the top step of the porch, Dizzi on his lap, prepared to film the oncoming beybattle. In any case he had to compare the statistics from this encounter with those he had from their last battle, five years previous, in order to see how much they had both improved. He knew that Tyson had increased his skills exponentially but Kurumi he wasn't so sure about. However, from the way she was currently standing, she too had advanced drastically over the last few years.

Max then began to count backwards from 3, "3…2…1…Let it rip!"

The sound of ripcords being pulled from launchers echoed throughout the garden.

Tyson's white blade, with his bit-beast Dragoon, landed in the very middle of the dish before quickly moving to circle the outskirts of the semi-sphere, while Kurumi's violet purple beyblade landed at an odd angle on the curved surface and also began to encircle the dish.

Those observing the battle could see that Kurumi's blade was similar in shape to her cousins but a vibrant purple in colour. Where Dragoon occupied the space for a bit-beast in Tyson's champion blade, Kurumi had a very…odd bit piece. It wasn't a bit-beast from what they could tell but there was definitely something there. Instead of it being void of anything, a bit chip with a strange symbol on it was situated in the girl's blade.

The mark was made up of three elements – a star and crescent moon encompassed by a circle. The star was an eerily white colour that seemed to shimmer of its own accord, while the star was a bright silver and the circle a mysterious golden colour. All in all they had never seen anything quite like it before.

"Hey Chief, what is that?" Ray asked in wonderment.

"I'm analyzing it now," Dizzi replied while proceeding to do some really complex looking calculations.

Before Dizzi had finished with her inquisition, the boy's attention was drawn back to the dish by the sudden sound of metal on metal and knew that one of the participants had just attacked.

Tyson had gotten sick of the chasing and decided that it was time for some action; patience had never been his strong suit. He had charged at Kurumi and smashed forcefully into her, driving her back towards the rim of the dish.

"Come on Kuru, I know you're better than this," he said sanctimoniously.

A small smile crossed Kurumi's face at this accusation and she looked up to meet her cousin's brown eyes. "Akiba now!"

Before Tyson could do anything, Kurumi's blade, Akiba, sharply turned to the right and began ramming into Dragoon from behind. The violet beyblade pushed the other to the very edge of the dish where it spun teetering dangerously before Tyson was able to gain control again.

"Well I must say that Kurumi's speed and power has increased greatly since last time I saw her battle," Chief commented to the others, all of whom were engrossed with the fight.

"Yeah, she's almost as fast as Ray," Max stated as he continued to watch in amazement.

"Not so fast Kumi! You can't beat me so easily," the baseball capped teen declared loudly, "Go Dragoon!"

The white blade, upon hearing the command of his master, surged forward and retaliated with force against the offending blade, pushing it back towards the centre of the dish. Akiba went on the defensive after having lost the upper hand and began circling the dish, Dragoon closely behind her, once again. This persisted for some time before Kurumi went on the offensive once more when she had found a way to get behind of Dragoon again.

Tyson, not one prone to backing down from a challenge, met Kurumi hit for hit, neither maintaining the advantage for long, before he decided that something had to change.

"Come on Dragoon; let's show her what we're made of! Galaxy Storm!"

With that, a blue light erupted from Tyson's blade and his bit-beast Dragoon appeared. Almost immediately, he set about creating a giant tornado like wind that was making it very hard for Akiba to keep spinning.

"Akiba! Light Shield now!" Kurumi exclaimed in a last ditch effort to keep from losing.

Instantaneously a piercing white light burst from the purple blade and quickly took the form of a large semi-sphere, protecting Akiba from Dragoon's Galaxy Storm attack.

"Dragoon now!"

"Akiba now!"

Tyson and Kurumi each sent their beyblades towards the others at the exact same moment. When they met, it was in a confusion of blue and white light, so it was impossible to see whose had connected first.

Once the light died down, only one blade could be seen to be spinning and one lay on its top. The light continued to recede and once it was gone it was possible to see that the one left spinning was a white one. Tyson had won.

"Yes!" Tyson yelled while punching his fist in the air, "Oh man, that was intense. I can't believe how good you've gotten Kuru."

"Thanks! But you're one tough cookie to beat yourself!" she informed him with an affectionate hug.

"Okay, what just happened?" Max asked Kurumi puzzled.

"Yeah, what was up with your blade? I didn't think you had a bit-beast," Tyson inquired, suddenly realizing that he was also confused by the battle.

"Um, well I don't have one. I can't really explain it myself," Kurumi answered their questions kind of truthfully. She wasn't lying per se when she said that she couldn't exactly elucidate it, but she did have some idea of what was going on. Although, they didn't need to know that.

"Can I see your beyblade Kurumi?" Kenny requested.

"Ah…sure Chief," she replied after an unnoticeable hesitation. Unnoticeable that is to everyone except for Kai.

She handed the blade over to the smaller boy and he began typing furiously on Dizzi while examining the purple beyblade at the same time. Everyone else crowded around to see what was going on.

After a few minutes of silence, Kenny spoke again to the surrounding bladers.

"This is strange, I've never seen anything quite like this before," he started slowly, still staring intently at Dizzi.

"So, what's the verdict?" Tyson asked impatiently.

"Hold on, this is difficult stuff I'm working with here," the electronic voice of Dizzi reverberated around them all.

"Well, it seems as if this bit-chip, although not a bit-beast in itself, relays power from some other source and allows for that energy to be used in attacks," Kenny explained to his friends, "See look here."

He showed them a video of the match just before Kurumi performed her final attack and a graph of the power level of the blade at this time.

"You see how the power level has remained constant up until this point, look now."

The teens observed how the power of Kurumi's blade increased radically just before her Light Shield attack but then decreased again as she actually carried out the assault.

"Huh? It didn't use all the power for the attack," Ray pointed out.

"No, that's also something of a dilemma in itself. The blade received an immense amount of power but then only used a tiny portion of it when it attacked, it's bizarre," Kenny responded, "It's like it diverts the energy, although I'm afraid I don't really understand it."

"Hey Kuru, where did you get it?" They all turned to look at the blond girl as Tyson queried her.

"Well, I inherited it from my grandfather when he died," she replied. It wasn't a lie, she did get it from her grandfather, he just didn't know he had left it to her is all. The bit-chip had been in the locket, which was situated in the chest that he had never been able to open.

"Can you tell us anything about it?" Kenny proceeded to ask.

"Not really, you've already said what I figured about it, that is that it received power from…somewhere," she finished elusively. She _wasn't_ lying, Kurumi didn't lie after all, she was just not expanding on what she did know. She didn't tell them that she knew where the bit-chip drew its power from or why she suspected it did it. It wasn't their responsibility to know that, it was her burden to carry and she had accepted that long ago. The more people who knew about it, the more dangerous the situation would get, Kurumi was sure of it.

"Do you mind if I keep analyzing this? It has me intrigued," the Chief asked Kurumi.

"No that's fine with me," the blond replied with a smile. He wouldn't figure it out unless she helped him, so it was okay for him to carry on with his research if he wanted to.

"Can you do it later Chief, hime owes me a battle," Ray said reminding Kurumi of her promise from that morning.

The six teens spent the rest of the afternoon beyblading against one another, Kurumi's mysterious blade seemingly forgotten for the present, except for Kai. He couldn't help but think there was something suspicious about it and that Kurumi knew more about it then she was letting on. He decided that he would have to keep an eye on her and find out more about the peculiar bit-chip if the occasion presented itself.

* * *

Remember to please R&R people! 


	6. Chapter 5

Hello! Yes I know I must sincerely apologize for taking so long to update! It seriously wasn't intentional I just had a lot going on, you know work, getting ready for Uni…Okay, okay, I know, I know, lame excuses but what can I say!

Anyways I must remind people to review and thanks once again to Fade to Blue and Silverwing X Moonrise for being the only people to review last chapter! Tsk, Tsk, oh well what can I do? Anyways you guys both absolutely ROCK!!!

I know that this chapter is shorter than the last few but I had to cut it into two parts because otherwise it would have been giganormously long (Btw, I do realize that giganormously is not a word but I think it's funny so I'm gonna use it!) so I'm sorry if this part is kinda boring but the second part should be more central to the plot.

So just the usual before the story starts:

" "- speech

' '- thought

_italics_- generally used to indicate emphasis or a bit-beast speaking

And that's about it so read, review and enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** The rights to Beyblade remain a faraway dream…

* * *

**Chapter 5**

Chaos.

That was the only word that could describe the inside of the Granger dojo on Monday morning.

It was the first day of school for the five teens that resided within the confines of the house and in accordance with Murphy's Law they had of course woken up late.

Actually, that wasn't completely true.

One slate haired teen sat at the kitchen table, calmly drinking that vital, conscious sustaining substance known as coffee and listening to three of his housemates hastily getting ready. He could hear the rushed footfalls of them running around upstairs quickly grabbing anything that might possibly be of use and the occasional 'CRASH' and sound of pain as one fell over attempting to get dressed for the new school year.

His fourth housemate however still remained blissfully ignorant of the turmoil going on around him as the navy haired teen in question was lingering lost in the realms of sleep.

Typical.

A creak from the staircase alerted the approaching presence of another being and brought Kai from his musings as he looked to see who had finally finished preparing for the oncoming day.

His gaze was met with a bent head of raven hair as the boy it belonged to was fumbling with the clasp of his black messenger bag, trying in vain to get it to close around the bulging contents. After a further few seconds of fruitless efforts the teen gave up and turned his attention elsewhere.

"Morning Kai, do you want any breakfast?" Ray asked his captain, already anticipating the answer.

"Hn. No thanks."

"Hey guys," Max said cheerfully as he bounded into the kitchen, dressed casually in the uniform they were all forced to wear. His black, red and white striped tie hung loosely around the collar of his white shirt, which was half tucked in, half hanging out of his black trousers, giving him a messy look. His black blazer was chucked randomly and without care over his bag, a replica of Ray's, while his black leather shoes were the only things that would be considered school appropriate about his appearance.

The other two teens didn't fare much better.

Ray had tried slightly harder to obey the school rules regarding the dress code with his shirt sort of tucked in properly and his tie done up a little higher than Max's. He had also removed his yin yang headband but that was about it.

Kai on the other hand didn't give a damn about the uniform or the rules and hadn't even made the remotest effort to adhere to them. His shirt hung loose and his tie was barely visible from beneath the deep v neckline of the black woolen school jumper he was wearing instead of the blazer. God how he hated that thing. He also hadn't bothered to remove his earring and he still donned his signature blue triangles, both of which clearly went against school policy. Kai wasn't troubled though; the teachers had only endeavored once to make him get rid of the face paint and, well, after that little incident they hadn't dared try again. They had surmised in the end that it was safer for all to just ignore the issue all together.

It worked for Kai.

"Hey Maxie, you ready for the start of the school year?" the nekojin inquired of the American conversationally.

"Yeah, I suppose so. I've got a bet going with Tyson to see if we can beat our record for the number of detentions we got last year. He doesn't think we can, but I know better. After all the only way to get better is to practice, right Kai?" Max stated cheekily, twisting Kai's words to suit his purpose.

The phoenix master glared at the blond for abusing his wisdom and advice. Max, in turn, tried unsuccessfully to suppress the grin which eventually broke out across his face.

"Heh, anyway, I wonder what classes we'll have together this year?" Ray wondered steering the conversation away from the jibe which could have resulted in a possibly dangerous situation. Max generally didn't provoke Kai but he had been known on occasion to annoy the older blader in a way that usually only Tyson could achieve after spending too much time with the aforementioned teen.

"Hmm…I don't know. We'll probably be together for Gym but otherwise who knows!"

"Good morning you three!" a sweet perky voice said from the doorway.

Raven, blond and slate heads turned to regard the girl that had just appeared.

Her silky blonde hair, so reminiscent of sunlight, cascaded softly down her back and shoulders, flicking outwards towards the bottom, with her long bangs framing her face in the most becoming of manners. Her hair was like liquid gold that flowed down her sculpted back in pools of majestic integrity and reminded them of an angel.

Her face remained natural except for a thin line of eyeliner and a flick of mascara to truly stress her compelling blue, purple and green eyes, and a dash of lip-gloss on her full lips. Aside from that synthesized colouring, her high cheek bones were tinted with a light pink hue courtesy from her rushing around to get ready.

The uniform that she wore was the girls' version of what the three boys were wearing and expertly outlined her desirable figure. It consisted of a white shirt, properly tucked into a black pleated skirt with a band of white encircling the bottom that reached mid-thigh, and black woolen jumper muck akin to the one Kai was wearing. Instead of the tie that the boys wore, a red ribbon tied around the collar of the buttoned up shirt and sat elegantly around her neck. White, knee high socks, black leather t-strap shoes and a black messenger bag completed the outfit.

She was a vision to behold.

"Wow Kuru, the uniform _really_ suits you," Max complemented his younger friend.

"Oh, um, th-thank you," was the stuttered reply.

"Here, sit down and have something to eat hime," Ray instructed Kurumi, leading her to a seat at the table next to Kai.

"Thank you Ray," she said gratefully, gracefully picking up a piece of toast and buttering it. Looking around at who was in the kitchen Kurumi remarked, "Hey, where's Tyson?"

"Probably still asleep knowing him. It is a school day after all," came the humored reply from Max.

A giggle followed this statement from Kurumi and then she said, "We have to go in fifteen minutes don't we? I should probably go and wake him up."

"You could try but I doubt that it would do much good," Ray answered exasperated by Tyson's ability to sleep through anything, and he meant _anything_.

Before anyone else could say another word, Kai soundlessly got up and walked out of the door and to the stairs. Kurumi, Ray and Max watched him disappear upstairs and several moments later were met with a loud, reverberating "AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"

"KAI! I'm going to _kill_ you!" a very angry Tyson yelled as Kai strolled nonchalantly back into the kitchen.

"He's up," was the obvious declaration from the smirking Kai.

"We noticed," Kurumi told him with a smile of her own.

"Do we even want to know what you did to him?" Max asked hesitantly.

The two toned haired teen contemplated a second before saying, "Probably not."

Not long after Tyson came fuming into the kitchen, dressed much like Max, and with a look of extreme annoyance and fury on his features directed at the source of his irritation, Kai.

Kai, for his part didn't even respond to the evident hostility thrown his way, as he continued to remain expressionless.

Ray, sensing the upcoming fight, stepped into his role of peace keeper and said to the raging bluenette, "Hey Tyson, you might want to eat breakfast before it goes cold. Oh, and you might want to hurry because we have to leave in ten minutes."

At the mention of breakfast, practically all of the teen's anger dissipated and an expression of horror replaced it.

"Ten minutes! That's all! Geez you could have woken me up earlier guys!" he exclaimed while hastily shoveling as much food as was humanly possible onto his plate. He then proceeded to devour the nourishment in record time and start on a second plate.

Kurumi gawked at her cousin momentarily before smiling and shaking her head in an affectionate manner, 'He really never changes,' she thought to herself.

* * *

"So Kuru, are you excited about starting school?" Max asked while walking backwards and focusing his eyes on the girl his question was aimed at.

After repeated attempts, they had finally been able to pry Tyson away from the kitchen table (and subsequently breakfast) and were walking to meet up with Kenny before continuing on to school.

"Yes I'm very excited about the prospect but I'm also a little bit nervous," she admitted apprehensively.

"Nervous? Come on Kumi, there's nothing to be nervous about," her cousin said while grabbing her hand and giving it a reassuring squeeze.

"You've never been the new person at school before though, have you Tyson? It's kind of awkward. Trust me, after all the schools I've been to I should know!" Kurumi replied, trying to disguise her worry beneath a veil of humor.

Tyson saw through this mask with ease however, and countered suitability.

"Don't worry, you're not alone. You have us there this time and you'll make heaps of friends instantly, you always do," he said kindly, "I'm sure you'll be fine. Just remember to be your brilliant self and you'll be irresistible to everyone."

Kurumi then threw her arms around the bluenette's neck in a hug as she buried her head in his shoulder and said a mumbled "Thank you Tyson."

"Awww…Kodak moment," Max quipped, which resulted in laughs all around except from the reserved phoenix.

Tyson then turned serious and added darkly, "But promise me, if anyone tries to hurt you, you have to tell me because I _will_ cause them serious damage alright?"

That little proclamation was met with a sudden somber and rather shocked silence as the other teens had rarely, if ever, seen such a sinister and protective side to the usually easy going dragon.

"Um…o-okay," Kurumi eventually replied uncertainly.

"Good. Hey there's the Chief," Tyson said, reverting back to his common happy demeanor and running to the brown haired boy standing a little ways in front of them.

"Well, that was weird," Ray whispered to the others.

"Yeah, I'll say. I've never seen him like that before," Max stated while staring tentatively at Tyson's retreating figure, "Kai, I think you're starting to have a negative influence on him."

Ray, Max and Kurumi all burst into barely contained fits of laughter as they cowered somewhat under Kai's death glare.

"Shut up," he spat treacherously.

"Sorry Kai," Kurumi said, sobering immediately and looking repentant for the offence she helped to found.

"Whatever."

"Hey guys," Kenny called to them as they approached.

A chorus of Hey's, Hi's and Hello's followed this salutation as the others acknowledged the Chief.

"Whoa, guys we better get going if we don't want to be late on the first day!" Max suddenly exclaimed, looking down at his watch.

"I'm sure that'll go down well, especially if we have Maggot for homeroom," the normally baseball capped teen said with a hint of distaste in his voice.

"We can hope not. Please God don't let us have Maggot," Max concurred while throwing his arms up towards the sky and praying in a very dramatic manner.

"Um, Maggot?" the petite blond girl questioned.

"She's one of the teachers at school. We had her for homeroom last year and well…she wasn't particularly partial to us, especially Max and Tyson," Ray replied delicately as Max and now Tyson were praying to all of the deities they could possibly think of.

"Hey you forgot Kai, she _hated_ Kai," Max interrupted before continuing his requests upon various Gods and Goddesses.

"Hn. The feeling was mutual," the aloof teen added coldly.

"She wasn't that bad Kurumi, don't listen to them," the Chief informed the younger girl.

"Speak for yourself, she was horrible. We'd just walk in the room and she'd give us detention or send us to see the principle. Just because she liked you Chief and was nice to you, doesn't mean she liked or even tolerated us," Tyson said with a distinct tone of disgust.

"So how come she didn't like you guys?" Kurumi asked amused by the boy's antics.

"She didn't like us because we beyblade. She detests beyblading and therefore hated us too. She thought it was a waste of time and despised the fact that we were given special privileges to leave school whenever there was a tournament or something like that on. She thought it wasn't fair and that we should have been kept back a year for not attending school enough to actually have passed but we still had to be tutored when we weren't in school. Maggot never seemed to get that though," Max explained dutifully.

"Personally I think that she was just jealous of us and the fact that we're famous and actually have talent at something…unlike her!" Tyson commented arrogantly and kind of harshly.

"Tyson, that's mean," his cousin reprimanded in her dulcet and melodious way, "So how come she liked you then Chief?"

"Oh, she didn't really…"

"Yeah right! The Chief here was her favourite student because of his good grades, respect for rules and tendency to stick to school policy," Tyson responded slyly, observing as Kenny's cheeks became redder with every word he spoke.

Kurumi couldn't help but chuckled at this. Looking at the Chief he certainly did appear to be the poster child for a good student. His shirt was properly tucked into his pants, the top button done up with the tie correctly pulled up and his blazer around his shoulders. He looked like the perfect student, principally when compared to Tyson, Max, Ray and Kai.

This friendly banter and discussion sustained all of the rest of the way on the walk to school.

* * *

The six teens rounded the last corner and advanced towards the open gates that marked the entrance to Koden High. They made their way through the cast iron fence and found themselves in a vast courtyard.

Five were familiar with the sight of the gargantuan, sprawling yellow stone building and surrounding lush grounds, one was not.

"Wow," Kurumi said in a small voice, quite intimidated by the sheer size of the campus.

As far as schools went, this one was pretty nice.

The group proceeded to maneuver and weave their way through the clusters of students sporadically placed around the courtyard, each talking animatedly about their summers and catching up with friends.

In the end they made it to the steps which lead into the building. Passing through the large double doors, the six adolescents came to a stop in the entrance hall. They literally couldn't go any further as the hallway was packed with students clad in uniforms identical to theirs.

Pinned to the surrounding walls were large sheets of paper detailing homerooms and locker numbers. This accounted for the crowds.

"Cover me guys, I'm going in," Max said bravely as he disappeared amongst the craning hoards of students.

"Me too," Ray agreed with the same mettle that Max had displayed.

"Hey can someone point me in the direction of the office?" Kurumi inquired of the remaining boys.

"I'll take you Kuru. Here grab my hand, I don't want to lose you in this," Tyson gestured to the mobs, "Chief can you find out where I am for homeroom and where my locker is?"

"Sure Tyson. I'll meet you back here in a few minutes."

"Thanks Chief. Cya later guys."

"Bye Chief. Bye Kai," they heard Kurumi's voice trailing off as she was plunged into the swarms, her hand firmly attached to that of her cousin's.

"So, I guess we should try to find out where we are, right Kai?" Kenny gulped slightly while turning to regard the older teen beside him.

His gaze was met with empty air as the phoenix master was nowhere to be seen.

* * *

"So if I don't see you before lunch meet us in the cafeteria then okay?"

"Yes Tyson."

"Oh and if you're in a class with one of the guys just stick with them, they'll make sure you don't get lost."

"Okay Tyson."

"And remember-"

"Yes _Dad_, I'll be fine," Kurumi couldn't help but laugh at her navy haired cousin's over protectiveness. He really looked like a parent worrying and fussing about his child.

"Alright, are you sure you don't want me to stay?" Tyson asked his blond cousin.

"And have you be late on your first day? No seriously I'll be okay. I know I said I was nervous but don't be concerned. I mean I have done this how many times before? I'm practically an expert!" she jested light heartily.

"But-"

"Go!" Kurumi playfully ordered.

"Okay, okay I'm going!" Tyson held up his hands in mock surrender. He then quickly hugged Kurumi and gave her a kiss on her forehead, "That's just in case I don't see you. Bye hime."

With that Tyson turned and walked out of the office leaving Kurumi to register.

She turned around to face the lady sitting behind the desk…the one with a faraway look upon her features.

"Awww, young love, it's a wonderful thing," the middle-aged woman began in a charmed voice.

Realizing what the lady was referring to, Kurumi promptly became embarrassed and tried to rectify and correct the lady's mistake of perception.

"Oh, I'm sorry but that wasn't my b-boyfriend (she blushed intensely while saying that word), that was my cousin."

The woman didn't seem to have heard her though as she was still talking mistily about 'young love'.

"Um, excuse me?" Kurumi tried politely to break the woman from her reverie.

"Excuse me?" she tried again.

Nothing happened.

"Hey! I believe the lady is after some assistance," a deep masculine voice spoke from behind Kurumi.

"Wha- oh yes, I'm sorry dear what can I help you with?" the woman asked having snapped out of her trance-like fantasy and consequent mutterings.

"That's okay miss. I'm new here and I need to register," Kurumi replied in an understanding and kind tone.

"You'll need to fill these forms out and bring them back to me once you've finished them," the lady explained while handing Kurumi a stack of different coloured papers, "You can use the table over there dear."

"Thank-you," Kurumi smiled with sincerity at the office assistant, turning as she did so.

She made to step forward in the direction of the table and chair but before she could, Kurumi collided with something. A very tall and muscled something.

"Careful pipsqueak, wouldn't want to hurt your pretty little self," the same male voice as before spoke while catching the arms of the blond girl and steadying her before she fell.

"Oh my goodness, I am _so_ sorry!" Kurumi said in all earnest. She raised her gaze and was met with the face of her saviour.

Staring back at her were intense violet orbs that seemed to burn with an underlying fire, a head of untidy black hair and an amused expression. These belonged to the very handsome visage of the boy who had prevented Kurumi from making a fool of herself by falling over.

"Don't sweat it. After all it's not every day that I get to catch a falling angel," the teen relayed smoothly before winking at her and strolling up to the desk.

"Ah yes, Mr. Sagara the principal will see you now," the office lady informed the boy.

With no backwards glance in Kurumi's direction, he walked in a relaxed style to the principal's office and entered without knocking in the courteous way.

'Well that was strange,' Kurumi thought to herself, 'What was with the angel comment? I mean he only caught me, not an angel.'

She puzzled over this for a few moments before shrugging her shoulders and proceeding to fill out the various forms she held.

Several minutes passed and Kurumi was nearing the end of the documents she needed to complete for registration when the door to the principal's office opened once more.

Out sauntered the boy, each step illustrating his almost egotistical confidence as he continued to move through the school office, heading for the hallway. As he neared where Kurumi sat he threw her a "Later pipsqueak" and a smile many a girl would kill to be tossed her way.

"Oh, goodbye and thank-you for saving me from having to stand there for an eternity," she replied in a hushed whisper before smiling sweetly at the boy. She then resumed her paperwork, missing in the process the almost hungry look the boy gave her that drunk in every detail of her appearance before he disappeared through the doorway.

Kurumi finished the necessary requirements for enrolment and returned the forms to the woman behind the desk.

"Thank-you dear," the woman said, "The principal would like to speak with you before I show you to your locker and your homeroom. Don't worry; she just likes to meet all the new students."

"Alright, thank you miss."

The teen walked over to the principal's office and mannerly knocked on the door.

"Come in," a voice called from within.

With a small amount of anxiousness, Kurumi opened the door and stepped over the threshold and into the cool office.

"Welcome to Koden High, you must be Miss. Granger," a brown haired, middle-aged woman said from behind the official looking desk, "I'm Ms. Puce, the principal."

Ms. Puce appeared to be a nice lady but it was evident that she was strict and was not a woman to be crossed. Everything from her posture to her tone stressed this.

"Hello, it's wonderful to meet you and fantastic to be here," Kurumi replied with respect and honesty.

"I'm glad to hear that Miss. Granger. I hope that you will find this school to your satisfaction and that you will properly obey the rules. I trust that you will work diligently to achieve your maximum potential and use all that is offered to your benefit and advantage," Ms. Puce stated over the top of her glasses which helped to emphasis the professional that she was.

"Yes miss, I fully intend to try my hardest and be the best that I can possibly be," Kurumi responded enthusiastically.

"Good. Well if you have no questions," Kurumi shook her head in the negative, "then I suggest that you get along to class. Good luck with your studies."

"Thank you Ms. Puce."

Kurumi got up and exited the room.

"Here you go Miss. Granger, this is you timetable, a map of the school and other such things," the assistant handed Kurumi when she approached the aforesaid lady's desk, "Now if you will please follow me I shall show you to your locker and your homeroom."

Moments later the two were navigating through the maze of crossing and intersecting school corridors toward Kurumi's locker which she was told was located in the east wing on the second floor. She had given up trying to remember the path that they took through the non-descript and identical hallways and so she resorted to following the older woman helplessly.

They eventually reached their destination and before long were on their way once again, this time in search of the correct homeroom.

"Ah here we are," the lady said stopping outside a light blue door, "Please wait here while I talk to the teacher."

Kurumi obediently remained in her position until the office assistant once again reappeared.

"There we go dear, you can enter now. Good luck," she said with an encouraging smile.

Kurumi suddenly experienced the fluttering of butterflies in her stomach as her nerves resurfaced and all she could muster was a small smile.

She took a deep, calming breath and pushed the door open as she stepped through into the unknown classroom on the other side.

* * *

Please don't forget to R&R! 


	7. Chapter 6

Hiya! Yes I'm back with the next chapter. I was actually hoping to have it up earlier but, alas, that dream obviously failed miserably as you all can bear witness to. Oops!

Anyways, thanks to those who reviewed last chapter – Fade to Blue, Silverwing X Moonrise and xvegas-on-acidx – you are all completely and utterly awesome and I love you guys!

Um, nothing interesting to report before I begin the story except the usual pleas to review but that's it really! Yeah, I know boring huh?

Just a reminder:

" "- speech

' '- thought

_italics_- generally used to indicate emphasis, a bit-beast speaking or a dream sequence

That's it so remember to read, review and enjoy my lovely readers!

**Disclaimer:** If I owned Beyblade it wouldn't have been as good as it was. Trust me.

* * *

**Chapter 6**

The feel of penetrating and appraising eyes was all Kurumi could distinguish of her new peers as she approached the teacher after entering the room. She had not looked around at her latest classmates, instead choosing to focus her sole attention on the short, portly man at the front of the class, in an effort to calm and sedate her unrelenting nerves.

"Welcome my dear to 10D, the most interesting, the most talented and the best homeroom of all!" the man that was supposedly in charge of the class said boisterously, flourishing his hands in the most exuberant of manners.

Kurumi stopped in her tracks and couldn't say anything, seemingly stunned into silence by this uncharacteristic representation of a teacher. In all of her terms in the array of educational institutions that she had attended over the years, she had _never_ encountered a teacher of this description before.

Upon closer inspection Kurumi saw that he was somewhere in his 40's, was wearing a black beret atop a bald head, a white shirt with a red silk cravat and black dress pants. He certainly was a sight to behold. Something told Kurumi that if nothing else, at least homeroom was guaranteed to be entertaining if her first impression of the teacher was proved substantiated.

"Well, what are you waiting for young lady? Please, before we all grow old and have to be put into nursing homes where we will be immediately forgotten and ignored by all society, only receiving visits from family days before we die just to ensure that they have a stake in our wills. And all of this just from waiting for you to introduce your lovely self to us all," the as yet unnamed teacher dramatically acted out to the sniggering classroom.

Snatched from her thoughts by the booming voice of the teacher, Kurumi's shock was replaced with embarrassment as she saw that the students were laughing at her.

"I'm sorry sir," she expressed in an apologetic and timid tone.

"That is quite all right my dear, but you might want to hurry; I think I'm beginning to develop a tremor in my hand," he stated histrionically.

Kurumi giggled at this, having found the funny side to his theatrics, and turned so that she could see the students – her new peers.

Her face, which had been obscured by her blond locks, was now visible for all to see as she was standing straight on.

An audible gasp rippled and ricocheted around the room as students saw who stood before them. Almost instantly a wave of murmurings and discussion issued throughout the room as students conferred and conversed about their new classmate. They were thoroughly awed by her appearance and had to speak about this fresh development. Kurumi, being the modest and rather dense girl that she was when it came to her looks, couldn't comprehend what all the fuss was about, she only knew that she had caused it somehow.

She nervously twisted her hands in front of her, waiting for the commotion to subside.

"Quite everybody!" the teacher yelled over the now rather loud chattering of his students. Silence fell, "Please continue."

"Oh, um, hello everybody. My name is Kurumi Granger and I just transferred here from a school in Canada. I am originally from Tokyo and am glad to be back here. It's incredible to meet you all and I hope that we will come to know each other and become great friends," she finished off with her loving smile that made her eyes sparkle.

"You can definitely be my friend Kurumi," a boy with turquoise hair said suggestively from the middle of the room. Many sounds of assent could be heard from most of the males in the classroom.

"Really? Great!" Kurumi returned happily, missing the rather flirtatious tone in his voice.

The teacher just had to shake his head at her evident naivety, while many of the girls scowled or snorted at her innocence.

"Thank you, that is enough of that kind of talk Mr. Hutch, particularly as seeing she doesn't get it," the energetic teacher said in an undertone to those that could hear him. They, in turn, laughed at their teacher's observation.

"Now, Miss. Granger could you please take the seat next to Mr. Tate," he continued while indicating a blond boy sitting at a table in the second row from the back next to the window.

Kurumi followed his instructions and as she drew closer to the designated seat she realized that the boy just so happened to be Max.

"Maxie I didn't notice that you were in this class!" she exclaimed, while sitting down and beaming at him.

"Uh-huh and so is Kai," he replied while indicating with his thumb to the table behind them.

Turning in her seat so that she could see the table, the younger girl saw a very bored looking Kai staring back at her.

"Hi Kai!" she stated excitedly.

He didn't respond. Abruptly he turned his head so that he was gazing out of the window and watching the just as uninteresting grounds.

In truth, he only averted his eyes because he couldn't stand to look at her. Beneath the façade of boredom he was burning with an unexplainable anger and annoyance, created by and aimed at Kurumi. He had been fine until she had stepped through the doorway. Then his problems had started.

Correction, they had begun when that boy had made that rather unsavory remark. He had felt the pronounced urge to get up, go over to him and punch the living daylights out of the salacious bastard. That was when the rage had set in.

He then had had to bear witness to the resonating agreement and whisperings of the people around him. He had heard the girls slander and disparage Kurumi while the guys objectified and said some rather vulgar things regarding what they wanted to do to her. For a reason beyond his comprehension, this had infuriated Kai to an ample degree.

If that wasn't enough, then _she_ went and further provoked the situation by being all ignorant. This unawareness irritated Kai to no end and he just couldn't interact with her at the moment otherwise there might be carnage and a death toll. Not the greatest way to start the first day of school.

Added to the fact that he didn't understand where these sudden intense feelings came from only served to enrage him further. In a nutshell, he was pissed. He therefore deemed that the most appropriate way to deal with the circumstance was to ignore its perpetrator and pretend that she didn't exist, something he had perfected to an art over the years.

Well at least until he had calmed down sufficiently to think rationally.

His attention was drawn back to the front of the classroom however, by the ever flamboyant and vibrant teacher, Mr. Ando. He was taking the role and had just called Kai's name.

"Mr. Hiwatari, are you here? I repeat Kai Hiwatari," Mr. Ando proclaimed once again, sweeping his eyes over his students searching for the one that the name belonged to.

Kai made no movement or acknowledgement.

Mr. Ando continued to glance around the room until his eyes rested on the two toned bluenette glaring back at him.

"Ah yes, there you are Mr. Hiwatari, the black cloud above your head is a dead giveaway. I see you still have that tendency to suck the fun out of anything and create a black hole of fear, antagonism and despair wherever you go. Yes it's nice to have you back with us," the teacher said rather sardonically. In retaliation, Kai glowered at the man with such force that he quickly returned to his role and called the next name on the list, fearing for his future happiness.

Although, this exchange wasn't really an unfamiliar occurrence between Kai and Mr. Ando. No they had a history.

It had all started the previous year when Kai was assigned to Mr. Ando's drama class, much to the blader's chagrin. Upon encountering the teen for the first time, the bald man had decided to bestow the youth with the nickname of 'Mr. Sourpuss' as he was a fairly vexing and cold person. This did not bode well with Kai and had only served to further bolster his intolerance and loathing of the teacher, particularly when Tyson had found out and decided that he too would adopt the suitable and fitting name. Since then, the fragile relationship between student and teacher had deteriorated and become a distant memory of the past. At least for Kai it had, and he now willingly displayed open hostility towards the man who had provided Tyson with weapons to be used against him. It was safe to say that they didn't exactly get along.

"Hey Kai, what do you have first?" Max inquired, breaking into the phoenix's solitude and thoughts.

He only just recognized that Mr. Ando had finished the role and the students were now chatting amongst themselves.

"English," was the one word answer.

"Really? Me too!" Kurumi happily informed him, turning around to join the dialogue. She then added with a smile, "It should be fun with you."

Max couldn't help it; he snickered…loudly.

"Yeah Kuru, I'm sure it's going to be a blast," he scoffed at the mental image. Kai being fun? Now that was something he would give up beyblading to see.

On reflection, it might just be plain scary.

He ceased his guffawing when he saw crimson eyes narrowed perilously at him.

'Idiots,' Kai thought violently.

_'Come on Kai, she was just being nice. You can't seriously hold being sweet against her now can you? Actually, don't answer that__. Anyway, you might find that you like spending time with her and that she isn't as foolish as you seem so intent upon branding her,' his bit-bea__s__t counseled wisely and in a tone that suggested she knew something he didn't._

'Don't make me laugh Dranzer. There is nothing that could make me like _that_,' he gestured mentally to the blond girl who was sitting in front of him and presently engaged in a conversation with Max before continuing on his rant, 'She is a pathetic, dim-witted, fatuous simpleton who can't even grasp when people are talking about her! Anyway the fact that she's related to Tyson should be a clear enough indication.'

_'Well doesn't someone have a superiority complex? Honestly Kai, you are so judgmental sometimes__ I'm almost ashamed to call you my master,' with that said Dranzer left his mind._

'Hn. Whatever,' he thought detachedly, having to have the last word.

Suddenly, the bell rang which signified the end of homeroom and the start of first period.

* * *

Kurumi entered the classroom, after having followed Kai to the room that they were in for English, and hesitated over where to sit. She saw that Kai had positioned himself in the same location that he had been in homeroom – back corner, next to the window – but was unsure whether she should sit next to him. 

She had sensed during the…interesting affair that was homeroom that he was irate and she had a sneaking suspicion that she was the cause of it. Although Kurumi displayed benightedness in certain situations, she wasn't as oblivious when it came to people's feelings and emotions. She was more in tune with such things and consequently knew that if she sat next to Kai without an invite, she would just result in aggravating his condition further. Thus her tentativeness.

Before she could come to a decision however, she was rudely pushed out of the way by someone. When Kurumi looked up to see who had shoved her, she came face to face with a sneering emerald eyed, mauve haired girl.

"You were in my way," the teen derided in a belittling voice.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Kurumi apologized in a surprised tone. She'd never even met this girl and was shocked at the evident unfriendliness radiating from her.

"Whatever. Just for future reference; stay out of my way loser," the girl stated threateningly before turning around, flicking Kurumi in the face with her long hair in the process, and strutting up to the desk that Kai was currently seated at.

Kurumi could do nothing but stare at the girl meekly. She had not encountered someone so explicitly condemnatory before and was startled by the adolescent and her behavior.

"Hey Kai, how was your summer?" the light purple haired girl said sweetly, the layers of make-up on her face contorting as she batted her eyelashes.

Kai almost groaned at the sight of who was standing there. The teen, Amanda Keaton, was one of his fangirls, much to his displeasure. Even at school he was unable to escape their clutches and Ray had informed him that there was a fanclub on grounds that was specifically dedicated to him. God, now that was a horrifying notion.

However, Amanda Keaton had to be one of his most persistent and fixated fans, intent upon snaring his interest in her sharply manicured claws, whose dedication would not waver despite his best efforts. No matter how cold, cruel or callous he was, she still didn't get the hint.

So instead of scaring her off with a glare, he just disregarded her and continued to look out the window.

"Mine was great, though it could have been better if you were there," she proceeded on in a honeyed voice, attempting to engage Kai's attention, "Can I sit here?"

The girl was about to place her books on the table, taking Kai's silence for permission, when he spoke.

"No."

The phoenix master had arrived at a resolution after considering which of the scenarios was worse; sitting next to an incommodious bimbo or sitting next to an obsessed stalker. He had decided on the lesser of two evils.

"Huh?" Amanda said confused.

"I said no," Kai repeated.

"Oh, are you saving the seat for Ray or something?" she asked trying to utilise logic to explain his rejection.

"No," he replied while indicating with his garnet orbs his request to Kurumi.

The blond girl slowly approached the table.

"What! You'd rather sit next to _her_?" the mauve haired teen screeched shrilly in an outraged voice.

Kai discontinued the conversation by looking out of the window again.

Amanda, seemingly defeated, turned and stalked away, but not before staring daggers at Kurumi through eyes that seemed to burn with a fire of pure hatred.

"Wow, she seemed kind of terrifying," the younger girl said in a small voice.

"You have no idea," Kai countered.

"Maybe you _should_ sit next to her," Kurumi stated, unable to get the image of Amanda's eyes out of her head. They had contained so much antipathy and repugnance.

"When Hell freezes over," was the only answer she received.

Before Kurumi could say anything else, she was interrupted by Tyson and Ray who sat in the seats in front of the blond and bluenette duo.

"Hey Kuru, hey Kai," Ray grinned at them, "Looks like we have English together then."

"Kuru let me see your timetable. I want to know what classes we have together-" Tyson started to say before he was cut off by the teacher walking into the room. His excited face fell and was instantly replaced with a look of repulsion.

The room had fallen oddly quite with the arrival of the severe looking woman. She appeared to be middle-aged, had short brown hair and light blue eyes and wore rather conservative clothes. However, that wasn't what depicted the woman as austere; it was the expression on her face which achieved that effect. She sported a deep scowl that seemed to be ingrained in her skin and a permanent fixture on the lined countenance.

"Oh man," Tyson moaned audibly into the now quiet classroom.

As soon as the sound reached the teachers ears, her head snapped to the back corner where Tyson, Ray, Kai and Kurumi sat. Her eyes became slits as she saw who had spoken, but she managed to refrain from comment and proceeded to her desk at the front of the room.

'I know I shouldn't judge a person before getting to know them but…gulp,' Kurumi thought to herself as she gazed at the lady. Turning her awareness elsewhere, Kurumi noticed that Ray was trying to suppress a grimace from his feline like features, Tyson was displaying unbridled abhorrence, and Kai, though expressionless at first glance, had a look of deepest detestation etched in his eyes.

"For all of you who do not know me, my name is Ms. Mag_ow_," the woman said, accenting the second syllable of her surname, while writing it up onto the board as Ms. Maggot.

'Oh, she's that teacher that doesn't really like the guys except for the Chief,' Kurumi recognized in her mind, 'Somehow I think this is going to be an interesting class.'

"Welcome to Year 10 English," Ms. Maggot began in a tone that suggested anything but, "Today we shall begin our study on the works by the great 16th Century playwright William Shakespeare, which you all are expected to have read during the summer holidays," she added warningly, as if expecting them to protest.

Nobody said anything, while a couple of students nodded their heads to attest that they had completed the holiday task.

"Good. Now, does anybody have anything they wish to say or discuss with the rest of the class regarding what they have read?"

At this query, a few hands went up as some of the more courageous students ventured to express their opinions about the literary classics.

Ms. Maggot pointed to Amanda, "Yes, Miss. Keaton."

"Well, first off I'd just like to say that for an old dead guy, he wrote really well," a few people laughed at this declaration, "It took me awhile to understand what the hell he was on about but after figuring it out, I found that I really enjoyed his plays, especially Romeo and Juliet because it was so romantic and sad," she added languorously.

"Shakespeare knew what he was on about and the way that he constructed his works reflected that, and I guess what I'm trying to say is that I thought they were perfect. I think that he was, or is, the best writer to have ever lived and the aptness that he illustrated in his writing ability explains why he holds this title," the teen concluded resolutely.

"Well said Miss. Keaton. It's certainly true that Shakespeare's works can be deemed as perfection personified," the teacher agreed amorously, "Anyone else wish to share their thoughts with us?"

Upon hearing this testimonial from Ms. Maggot, Kurumi raised her hand.

"Yes, Miss…ah…,"

"Granger," Kurumi supplied helpfully.

"Miss. Granger," the brown haired woman looked from Tyson to Kurumi and made the connection that they were related. "Please continue," she added rather icily.

Undeterred by this attitude, Kurumi articulated her opinion.

"To begin with I'd just like to say that I agree with what Miss. Keaton said for the whole, but I don't contend with what either of you said about Shakespeare being the perfect writer."

"Oh, and would you care to enlighten us as to why," Ms. Maggot said in a voice that verged dangerously on the edge of being sarcastic.

"Because perfection is an unattainable concept. To suggest that one is perfect would mean that they could never grow, never improve, and never evolve because they've already reached a point that cannot be surpassed," the blond teen elucidated in a tone laced with conviction and passion in what she was saying, "Anyway, we can never truly achieve perfection because of what we are. We were designed to be riddled with flaws, faults which would ensure that we could never accomplish anything branded with the title of perfection. We are creatures that are fuelled by our desires, our search for our wants, and this in itself severely inhibits our ability to be perfect, as it is a debilitating defect. If one has imperfections, then one can never be called perfect. Therefore, due to our nature as humans, the notion of perfection is an impossibility, an implausibility that cannot exist in mortals and will never be achieved by them, by us. That's basically why I don't agree with your statement concerning Shakespeare."

At the end of this avowal, most eyes were on Kurumi in surprise. Ms. Maggot had replaced her frown with an impressed look at the depth and inspection of the teen's view and the way in which she delivered it. This expression she hastened to cover up after getting over the initial shock. She hadn't been expecting such a profound response. The teacher opened her mouth to speak but before she could get a word out, one of the students spoke.

"So you don't believe that perfection exists?" a boy sitting a few seats away from the new girl asked curiously.

"I believe that perfection is an admirable goal, I just don't think it's possible to achieve," was the carefully considered reply.

Amanda, who was situated on the opposite side of the room, was seething at the fact that Kurumi had practically undermined what she had said. She took it as a personal attack upon herself and was not at all impressed with the way her peers were now looking at the blond. Nor did she appreciate how Kai was staring at the girl beside him, even though she had no idea what was going through his mind as his eyes held an emotion she couldn't determine.

Attempting to salvage part of her tattered pride, and resolute about winning the argument, the mauve haired adolescent spoke snidely, "I still don't understand why Shakespeare can't be considered perfect. I mean, everyone agrees that he was the best."

"But being perfect and being the best are two completely different notions," Kurumi explicated in a thoughtful manner, "Perfect means that improvement cannot occur, while being the best means that someone who is better hasn't come along yet. There exists a large difference between the two ideas and it is this that clearly outlines the fact that perfection does not exist in this world."

The emerald eyed girl simply "Hmphed," unable to come up with anything to counteract or contradict this as the class persisted on. Nonetheless, as the period progressed, Amanda Keaton came to a decision to make it her private vendetta to destroy the impertinent nuisance that was Kurumi Granger.

* * *

The bell for lunch had just rang and the students of Koden High were eager to escape from their metaphorical prisons – the classrooms – and were busily chucking books into lockers and making their way to the cafeteria. Among this frenzied bustle however, one girl stood in the middle of a crossroads between four corridors looking bleakly around for some indication as to where her locker was situated. 

Kurumi was lost. Utterly and completely lost. She had no idea where she was and couldn't work out the map that she had been presented with when she had registered. This school was just too confusing to navigate through as there were an obscene amount of hallways, walkways and passageways that were impossible to tell apart as they all looked identical in their manifestation. It was hopeless to even try.

Making up her mind that the only way that she was going to get anywhere was to ask one of the passing strangers, Kurumi gazed around to find a suitable candidate. Much to her dismay though, she found that the passages were suddenly void of any other living existence bar herself.

'Whoa, that was fast,' she thought dazedly, 'I can't have been spaced out for that long could I?'

As the young blond continued to deliberate over her predicament, she didn't notice the two boys approaching from the corridor on her left. They, however, had detected her.

"Looks like we have a lost little lamb," the turquoise haired teen said to his companion.

"Isn't that that new girl everyone's been talking about?" the green haired teen quizzed back to his friend.

"Yeah, her name's Kurumi Granger. She's in my homeroom and Science class and she's gotta be the hottest girl I've ever seen," the boy replied back.

"Can't agree with you more," the other one said, fully appreciating the sight before his eyes.

Just at that moment Kai turned the corner and came striding down the hallway that the two boys were currently standing in with their backs facing towards the approaching bluenette. He was in time to hear the tail-end of their conversation.

"I say we go and offer our assistance to the cute lady," the turquoise teen said in an overly chivalrous manner, "After all we wouldn't want anything _untoward_ to happen to her now would we?"

"No, of course not. I'm sure that she will greatly value our help and I'm positive that she would have no objections to repaying our kindness with a little _fun_," the green haired teen said almost evilly to his friend who was nodding his head in ravenous agreement.

Kai could take no more. He had listened to what the two adolescents were saying and was thoroughly disgusted with their intentions. In normal circumstances he would not intervene in such affairs as was occurring in front of him, but he knew that if he let this play out something bad was going to happen. In any case, Kurumi wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed when it came to such matters.

Aside from this, Tyson would kill him…literally if anything happened to his precious cousin and Kai possessed the ability to stop it but refrained from doing so. Of this he had no doubt. So being the 'magnanimous' captain that he was, Kai interceded before any harm could transpire. This was only for his own benefit Kai reassured himself, to keep Tyson from attempting something stupid and undoubtedly illegal and in effect ruining the Bladebreakers beyblade team, and not out of pure benevolence and concern for Kurumi. No, the reasoning was all selfish.

With that in mind, Kai stalked haughtily up to the two teens and roughly pushed past them.

"Hey watch where you're going!" the turquoise haired teen (Hutch Kai thought his last name was) exclaimed angrily.

Turning around Kai leveled his most ferocious glare at the pair before him. If looks could kill Hutch and his friend would be dead ten times over and presently occupying a permanent residency in the inner realms of Hell.

"Yes?" Kai inquired in a dangerous tone.

Both teens quailed beneath the bluenette's well defined and withering look.

"Ah, n-nothing," the green haired adolescent stammered out as his voice rose about an octave.

"Hey Kai!" a relieved sounding Kurumi called out into the corridor as she made her way over to the familiar teen, "I'm so glad you're here. I can't find my locker and –"

She trailed off as she saw that Kai was not alone.

"Oh, I'm sorry for interrupting," she contritely expressed.

The turquoise and green haired teen's momentary apprehensiveness evaporated instantly as they smiled charmingly at Kurumi. However, before they could articulate anything, Kai said in the same low, precarious voice, "Don't even think about it."

They wisely shut their mouths and with a glance to one another, shrewdly took their leave with a, "Hiwatari, Kurumi."

As the two teens receded into the distance and around a corner, Kurumi thought out loud, "Well, that was odd."

"Hn. You shouldn't stand around in corridors by yourself, you know. You don't know what might happen," the older teen chastised and admonished in a rather heated way, "You need to be more careful and more alert."

"I p-promise I'll try," she replied, trying to conceal her trembling at the way that Kai was speaking to her. He was kind of intimidating.

Sighing, the bluenette said roughly, "C'mon," before walking down one of the hallways that Kurumi could only presume would lead to her locker.

Several minutes later the pair were entering the crowded cafeteria after Kai had directed Kurumi to her locker and uncharacteristically waited for her.

"So, where exactly are Tyson, Max, Ray and the Chief?" Kurumi inquired gazing around at the tables crammed with students. The cafeteria was huge and locating someone successfully in it seemed to the blond girl an impossible task to accomplish.

"Follow me," was her response.

She deferentially obliged.

Not long after beginning to wind through the overcrowded benches the two teens came to a halt in front of one that was positioned near the wall, in the middle of the food hall. Sitting comfortably there they found their friends eating their lunch, and Tyson who was failing miserably at discreetly stealing one of Kenny's sandwiches.

"Hey! Tyson get your own!" the Chief reprimanded while shielding his food from unwanted fingers.

"I already ate mine, but I'm still hungry! Please Chief you have heaps," Tyson whined to the brown haired boy sitting across from him.

"No!" was all he got in return.

"Hi guys," Kurumi interrupted before her cousin could object further.

"Hey Kuru, what took you so long?" Max hastily asked in an effort to staunch Tyson's complaining.

"Um, I got lost," was the sheepish response, "But Kai saved me."

Ray, who had been battling away Tyson's approaching fingers from his lunch, looked up and stared at Kai curiously. He raised an eyebrow in a questioning manner and aimed it at the older teen. After all, Kai didn't do things like that for people; he usually just left them hanging.

If Ray was expecting an answer from his captain, he wasn't going to get one because Kai just disregarded him and sat down at the table. Kurumi followed suit and also took a seat next to Max, while pulling out her own lunch. Ray decided that he wouldn't say anything and stored the topic away for later evaluation.

"Kurumi, my dearest cousin, you love me don't you?" Tyson asked the blond girl whilst his eyes took on the puppy dog look. He didn't quite achieve the desired effect however, as he looked more like a deranged mutant puppy dog than one that could get whatever it wanted.

Rolling her eyes and knowing that Tyson wouldn't cease until she handed over at least part of her food, Kurumi handed him half her sandwich.

"Thanks Kumi! You really are my favourite cousin you know that right?" the navy haired youth said while reaching out for the offered lunch.

"Tyson, I'm your only cousin," Kurumi replied flatly, "If you're still hungry why don't you go and buy something then?"

Silence met this suggestion.

Kurumi cocked her head to indicate that she was confused and glanced around the table waiting for someone to explain.

"Kuru, the food that you can buy here isn't what you'd call appealing," Ray filled her in gently.

"Are you kidding me? It's not even edible," Tyson exclaimed aghast while pointing to the table next to theirs and highlighting what resided on the trays that some of students had in front of them.

"I concur," Kenny added as Max nodded in agreement and Kai closed his crimson eyes and folded his arms across his chest.

"Wow, it looks like something I'd cook," Kurumi responded in all seriousness as she stared at the undistinguishable mess that the school had the audacity to label as lunch and sell to the students.

A moment's pause pursued this statement before the table erupted into laughter and lunch in the cafeteria presumed once again.

* * *

It was now midnight and the inhabitants of the Granger dojo were all missing in the dominions of sleep. 

The day had progressed without a hitch for the five teens that lived in the residence as they had attended their afternoon classes and had returned home as was expected. They had whittled away the afternoon and evening doing the little homework they had received on their first day of school, some against their will however, and beybladed after completing those tasks.

Presently they were asleep and regenerating for the unknown day ahead of them that was soon to commence. Although nothing out of the ordinary was going on in the external world, in the dream world a strange occurrence was about to begin for the five youths. At the exact same time, all five entered into a dream that was unerringly similar to one another, precisely the same in fact even though they experienced them separately.

_Kurumi stood on the edge of a cliff that fell to be met with an enchanting looking forest at the bottom. A lush green canopy was the only thing that could be seen for as far as the horizon stretched__ and the eye could see. _

In the surrounding bedrooms of the dojo, Max, Tyson, Ray and Kai where each currently standing exactly where Kurumi was.

_The sound of rushing water echoed throughout the tranquil land as gargantuan waterfalls spilled their crystal liquid over the rim of the cliff __at random intervals __and into the depths of the trees below. __Kurumi counted five of these dazzling __sights before __the cliff curved behind her and she could not see the mass of land without turning around._

_A warm breeze broke through the air and slightly ruffled the leaves on the trees far below the cliff top where the petit blond girl stood. Her hair lightly flew about her as she continued to view the picturesque scene. _

_A sense of perfect calmness and peacefulness seemed to pulse throughout the land and Kurumi was enve__loped by the feeling. It was like the world was content with how things were and was encouraging her to feel the same. It was quite intoxicating. _

_After looking once more upon the evergreen woodland, Kurumi turned around to see what lay behind her.__ She gasp__ed at what she saw._

_Several miles away a sprawling city of white was built. No, not white per se…more like light? It was breathtaking to say the least and massive__, glittering in a superfluity of c__o__lours, some of which she could not __even __name__. She had never seen anything like it before. It was incredible and seemed to emanate a force she could not quite name. It was like it was alive, the way it sparkled and radiated in the sunlight._

_From such a distance she could only make out the general shapes of the buildings, but s__aw countless spires and torrents extending far into the clear blue sky.__ In the centre__ of the city a __huge palace towered above the rest of the metropolis__ but it did not exude __an authoritarian presen__ce. It was like it __was the heart, keeping the __city breathing and alive__, but it also seemed dependent on the city to function. It was like a mutual agreement. It was hard to explain._

_Even from such a distance, Kurumi could tell that__ the palace was__ where that strange sensation of serenity and power came from.__ She had never witnessed something so __potent and alluring in nature.__Its__ very essence appeared to emit it._

_As Kurumi went to take a step towards the inviting city, she was halted by the sound of a soft voice._

_"Please, you must remember."_

_"Who's there?" Kurumi called out into her surrounds. She couldn't see anyone from where she was standing although a barrier of trees obscured her vision several meters in front of her.__ Even then__ she didn't think that the voice was coming from that direction. It seemed to be all around her._

_"Don't let it happen again, you must remember," the feminine voice whispered, carried on the light breeze._

_"I don't understand. Let what happen again? What do I have to remember?" Kurumi asked of the bodiless__ and detached__ voice in confusion._

_"Please remember, __it's__ important," she begged once more__, sadness evident in the invisible woman's tone._

_"I'm sorry, I don't understand," Kurumi repeated, __beginning to feel helpless as she couldn't comprehend what the woman wanted her to remember._

_"Remember, Miata Ip Ner Ealow…" the woman's voice faded out as the gentle wind died and the suns warmth could be __felt instead._

_"Hello? Hello?" Kurumi called out into the now silent world._

As the dream began to finish and the five teens began to feel the tug of darkness and the beginnings of other dreams, the memory of what they had just experienced also started to weaken and deteriorate from their consciousness, although remnants would remain if only glimmers of what had transpired.

However what the youths would not know was that in a certain blonds' bedroom, in a particular wardrobe, in a specific chest, in a distinct black silk box, an extraordinary orb was glowing a bright and intense white.

* * *

Please remember to R&R people! 


End file.
